WINC Watchlist: Rhea Ripley’s Biggest Matches

From being one among the breakout stars of “WWE NXT UK” to becoming the preferred female performer in wrestling today, Rhea Ripley has not only achieved success because of her character work and unique look, but in addition due to quality of her in-ring work. From standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Shayna Baszler and Toni Storm on WWE’s developmental brand, to fighting stars corresponding to Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, Ripley has proven to be one among the corporate’s most reliable wrestlers throughout the last decade.

Although Ripley has at all times been one among WWE’s predominant players in the ladies’s division, she was truly launched into superstardom each during and after her time with The Judgment Day, along with her in-ring talent being consistent whether she was a babyface or a heel. As we proceed to honor Women’s History Month, and with Ripley inching closer to a decade with WWE, here is our list for the best matches of “The Nightmare’s” profession so far.

After spending most of 2019 wrestling Bianca Belair and getting her first taste of the predominant roster, Rhea Ripley finished the yr by having a possibility to dethrone Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Title. Coming into the match, Baszler had change into the second-longest reigning NXT Women’s Champion, having held the gold for 416 days. Nonetheless, with “The Queen Of Spades” preparing for a full-time predominant roster call-up, Ripley was positioned because the star who could finally defeat one of the vital dominant competitors “WWE NXT” had ever seen, and did so in the most effective matches of her profession.

Witnessing Ripley and Baszler stand face-to-face with one another was at all times a treat, because the heavy offense within the match was like watching two behemoths collide with one another. Although the varied submission holds and multiple Riptides were thrilling enough for a title match, the audience in attendance truly elevated the competition, as they were unglued for nearly every near fall. Nonetheless, seven years later, the ultimate seconds of the match, when Mauro Ranallo’s iconic line of “The tide has turned” after Ripley hit an Avalanche Riptide on Baszler to win, remains to be the most effective moments in “NXT” history.

Today, the match remains to be viewed as Ripley’s ascension right into a predominant event star on “NXT,” and he or she would eventually follow in Baszler’s footsteps when she joined the “WWE Raw” roster a yr later.

Just three months after defeating Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship, Ripley would drop the title to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36, a move that originally seemed questionable because of the previous being positioned because the brand’s top star in the ladies’s division. That said, the matches that followed made the choice price it, especially at NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2020.

After a wonderful battle at WrestleMania, Flair and Ripley produced just nearly as good as a match at In Your House, but this time with the inclusion of IYO SKY, who went by Io Shirai on the time. All three women utilized the No Disqualification stipulation of a Triple Threat match perfectly, with SKY being tossed into the doorway set, Ripley throwing a plant at Flair, and kendo sticks being involved. Nonetheless, probably the most unforgettable spot of the match was SKY jumping off the highest of the In Your House stage onto Ripley and Flair, which led to her eventual victory. 

As for Ripley, the match solidified her as a performer who could deliver on a predominant event stage, but most significantly, proved she could hang with probably the most protected female WWE star in Flair, in addition to the most effective Japanese wrestlers on the planet.

After Ripley fell short to Flair on multiple occasions over the NXT Women’s Championship, they’d meet again at WrestleMania three years later, where “The Queen” ultimately passed the torch to the 29-year-old. At this point, Ripley had officially change into a member of The Judgment Day, and after she won the 2023 Royal Rumble, she was once more positioned to exercise her demons against Flair. Nonetheless, unlike their previous match on the “Show of Shows,” their clash at WrestleMania 39 was considered a possible night-one predominant event. Once they were scheduled because the third-to-last match on the cardboard, each women overdelivered.

Outside of the Men’s Intercontinental Championship match, Ripley versus Flair was one of the vital physical matches on the WrestleMania 39 card, as each competitors weren’t afraid to include hard-hitting violence into the competition. Along with the physical nature, the drama was off the charts, with Flair shockingly kicking out of the Riptide, and Ripley surviving a devastating spear from the veteran. Overall, Ripley would once more refer back to the Avalanche Riptide to win the match, but iconically screamed “It’s My Time” in Flair’s face before delivering the move.

If it wasn’t for the amazing story told between Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and The Usos as a part of The Bloodline Saga, it’s likely that Ripley and Flair would’ve been the primary women since Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks to predominant event WrestleMania.

After the primary night of WrestleMania 41 was poorly received outside of the predominant event between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk, WWE knew they needed to begin night two on the precise foot, and there was no higher match to deliver on high expectations than the Triple Threat for the Women’s World Championship.

The 2 months that built as much as the match between Ripley, SKY, and Bianca Belair were a few of WWE’s best storytelling of last yr. After Belair won the Elimination Chamber and punched her ticket to WrestleMania, SKY shockingly defeated Ripley for the Women’s World Championship two nights afterward “Raw” after the “EST of WWE” distracted “Mami” at ringside, causing her to lose the title. This led tensions to flare between Ripley and Belair for several weeks, making SKY feel just like the third wheel within the feud, despite being the champion. Nonetheless, that dynamic between all three women was incorporated into their match at WrestleMania, which ultimately led SKY to retain the title amongst Ripley and Belair’s frustrations with one another. 

The match itself is nearly as good as an opener can get for WrestleMania, having been a fast-paced 15-minute contest that has loads of near falls, infinite drama from the primary bell, and the most effective moves from all three women’s arsenals. Along with being one among the best WWE women’s matches of all time, Ripley’s match with SKY and Belair is not only a top-five match of her profession, but has been viewed as one among the best matches in WrestleMania history.

Following WrestleMania 41, it was hard to consider that many other matches in the ladies’s division would have the ability to rival the standard of the Triple Threat, but Ripley and SKY proved to exceed all expectations at Evolution 2025.

After having feuded for a lot of the yr, Ripley and SKY’s clash on the second-ever all-women’s PLE was their third singles match together in 4 months. Nonetheless, this time around, they got the chance to predominant event, and with each women not wanting to disappoint, they delivered the most effective WWE matches of last yr, which was accompanied by a surprise finish that few saw coming. 

By far, Evolution 2025 was the most effective work that Ripley and SKY had done together on a singles level, as their chemistry is at an all-time high following the countless matchups they competed in against one another beforehand. Where Ripley matched SKY’s technical ability, SKY added more brutality to her skillset with a purpose to sustain with Ripley’s physical strength, leading to each women having the ability to predict one another’s offense.

At this point, Ripley and SKY made it clear that they respected one another, a story beat that was tied into the match, but was eventually spoiled by Naomi playing the last word villain by cashing in her Money In The Bank contract. Although neither Ripley nor SKY would come out victorious, the 20-minute battle that preceded Naomi’s cash-in is one among “The Eradicator’s” most impressive performances, and he or she’s continued to be one among WWE’s most reliable staff within the eight months because the match.