Rhea Ripley explains her WrestleMania decision.
As the winner of the 2023 women's Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley got to choose her opponent for WrestleMania. She opted to pick Charlotte Flair and the SmackDown Women's Championship over Bianca Belair and the Raw Women's Championship.
Speaking on WWE Die Woche, Ripley explained her decision.
"Possibly," she said when asked if Ripley could face Belair at WrestleMania 40. "The decision between Bianca and Charlotte was very difficult. I definitely had to sit down and have a long hard think about my decision. I do have unfinished business with Bianca, I was number one contender until I got injured and pretty much knocked my front tooth out, and I lost my spot, I lost my opportunity. That's something that happens. If you get hurt, you lose your spot on the ladder and you have to work your way back to it. Bianca and I, a feud and us going head to head, is something that is going to be happening for years to come. We have a lot of years behind us and we're going to run the women's division in WWE. My choice to choose Charlotte was mainly because of revenge. She is pretty much my kryptonite and I'm sick and tired of it. I've worked so hard to get to where I am and be the sort of person that I am today and prove to everyone what I'm capable of and she's the last person I have to prove myself to. I know, in my heart, at WrestleMania, she's going to learn who Rhea bloody Ripley is and she's not going to like the outcome."
Flair defeated Ripley at WrestleMania 36 to win the NXT Women's Championship. She also defeated Ripley at WWE Money in the Bank 2021 to win the Raw Women's Championship.
Ripley was originally scheduled to face Belair at WWE Money in the Bank 2022, but was not medically cleared.
Fans can check out the current lineup for WrestleMania 39 by clicking here.
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