Alright, let’s talk about my journey following Rhea Ripley. It wasn’t like a planned project, you know, more like something I just found myself doing over time.
I first really noticed her back during her NXT UK days. There were a lot of talented folks there, but she just had this different look. Very punk rock, intense. Didn’t smile much. Honestly, she seemed genuinely tough, which stood out.
Didn’t follow super closely at the very beginning, just caught matches here and there. But then she won the NXT UK Women’s Championship. That made me sit up and pay a bit more attention. I started making a point to watch her defenses, see how she was developing in the ring. She had this raw power that was pretty impressive.
Moving Stateside and Finding Her Groove
When she transitioned over to the main NXT brand in the US, that’s when things really picked up for me. The feud she had with Shayna Baszler was top-notch stuff. I remember watching that TakeOver where she beat Shayna for the NXT Women’s title. That felt like a huge moment. She had this incredible presence, the crowd was massively behind her. I thought, “Okay, this one’s going places.”
Her initial run on the main roster felt… a bit weird? Like they weren’t quite sure what to do with her. She had that WrestleMania match early on, which was big, but then things kind of stalled. Remember that tag team she had? It just didn’t seem to fit the powerhouse I saw in NXT. I was honestly a bit disappointed, felt like maybe they were fumbling the ball.
The Judgment Day Era
Then came The Judgment Day. Man, that changed everything. When she turned and joined them, it was like a switch flipped. This whole ‘Mami’ persona, the dynamic with Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor, and Damian Priest – it just clicked.
This is where my “practice” really became more focused, I guess you could say. I wasn’t just watching the matches anymore. I started paying close attention to:
- Her character work outside the ring.
- How she carried herself, the confidence.
- The interactions with the group, especially with Dom.
- How she dominated not just women, but interfered in the men’s matches.
It felt like she finally found the perfect role. She wasn’t just a tough wrestler anymore; she was this menacing, dominant force controlling things. It was a complete transformation from the NXT UK days, even from her early main roster run.
So, looking back, my process was really just being a consistent viewer. I watched her evolve. I saw what worked, what didn’t. I noticed when she seemed most comfortable and confident in her role. The Judgment Day stuff really cemented her as a top star in my eyes. It wasn’t about practicing moves or anything, just observing the journey of a performer finding their perfect character. It’s been quite the ride to watch, honestly. Made wrestling feel fresh again for me in some ways.
