Rhea Ripley Says She Was ‘Very Close’ To Legitimately Losing Her Grip On The Ropes During 2023 Royal Rumble Finish
Rhea Ripley says she almost lost her grip on the rope during the finish of the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble match with Liv Morgan.
Rhea Ripley says she almost lost her grip on the rope during the finish of the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble finish with Liv Morgan.
In the climax of the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble match, Rhea, Liv Morgan and Asuka would all be on the apron, with Liv taking Asuka’s mist. Following Asuka’s elimination in the aftermath, Rhea would barely hold onto the ropes during the finish of the match, eliminating Liv with a head scissors throw from the apron to win the bout.
While speaking to ESPN in a new interview, Rhea Ripley reflected on the spot, noting that she was very worried she would lose her grip and blow the finish of the bout.
“This is a big day. This is a very big day. Right now I’m thinking, please don’t fall, and then I slipped and I was like, ‘oh, please don’t let go.’ Like if I let go, I’ve screwed everything up. But like this whole day was just so stressful for me because I also came out earlier and I got speared by Beth on the concrete floor, like in the rampway, which is straight concrete. Yes, I was feeling that, and then I was like, OK, well, now I’m going to come in at number one. which is like the worst spot that anyone could ever come in as in the Royal Rumble. Cause like you have to outlast like 29 other women and it’s just virtually impossible. But I managed to get to the last three, and by then I was so sweaty, my hands were wet and I slipped, and as soon as I grabbed it, I was like, ‘do not let go. Like for the love of God, through all the weights that you picked up while being sweaty, this is the one you can’t drop.'”
When asked how close she was to losing her grip on the ropes, Rhea confessed she was very close to letting go.
“Very close. Very close. Like, I was so scared.”
Elsewhere in the same interview, Rhea reflected on her first match in WWE. You can read more about that here.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit and link to the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
