“Mad Respect”, “Actually in Love” – Rhea Ripley Earns Special Place in Fan Hearts by Seemingly Paying Tribute to Late WWE Legend With Payback Gear
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One of the main events in WWE’s recently concluded PLE Payback was the Women’s World Championship. Rhea Ripley was going to face off against Raquel Rodriguez for the title. As the two contenders made it to the ring, Ripley’s Payback event gear won the hearts of her fans as this gear was a special tribute to WWE’s first woman to fight in The King of the Ring Tournament, Chyna.
Fans have always compared The Eradicator with the late star. Apart from their looks and physical appearance, both carry the same dark and mysterious in-ring aura which makes the resemblance uncanny.
Rhea Ripley’s homage to Chyna
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Rhea Ripley has been known for her physical prowess in the women’s wrestling division. That has led to many fans comparing her with Chyna. Ripley has acknowledged these comparisons and shown respect for the late WWE Hall of Famer. At Payback, Ripley decided to pay tribute to Chyna by wearing an in-ring gear similar to her.
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In her match with Rodriguez, Ripley faced a strong opponent who could match her strength. It was a challenging test for her, and it showed that she’s a formidable champion. Despite a few hiccups in the match, she managed to finish it in an exciting way. This match also added to the storyline of The Judgment Day trying to cheat their way to dominance.
However more than her title win, fans were delighted to see Rhea Ripley paying homage to one of the greatest pro wrestlers who was also a trailblazer, just like her.
Fans reacting to Ripley’s new gear
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the gear looked familiar. They took to X (Twitter) to shed light on this revelation. Since, then fans have been showing their admiration for Ripley.
I KNEW IT LOOKED FAMILIAR
— ♿ Marcy 🦻🏼 (@dollsofmyheart) September 3, 2023
Another fan says he hopes Ripley did a photoshoot in this gear suggesting the gear suited her persona and looked good on her.
@RheaRipley_WWE hope you did a whole photo shoot with this gear 🔥🔥🔥
— El Cangri (@jCU3) September 3, 2023
Mad respect this is so….. too many words come to mind. IT’s EVERYTHING! @RheaRipley_WWE omg 😭
— Axaix-Xhrixtiax (@AlainChristian) September 3, 2023
Bitch! This is *chefs kiss* https://t.co/lfTTXRXklv
— Christina D (@SingMyBlu) September 3, 2023
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It was safe to say, fans could not contain their excitement.
Oh I’m actually in love pic.twitter.com/TwR3tRBxjW
— Ellie 𓆏 Rhea Ripley Art 📌 (@EllieKrote) September 3, 2023
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It seems after Payback Ripley was able to win two things, her Championship match and the hearts of her fans. Ripley is on her way to becoming an icon of the sport just like Chyna.
Watch this story – The Act of Ultimate “Savageness” By NXT Star Towards Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio Makes Fans Lose Their Mind – “10 Second Dom”
Written by:
Edited by:
Sherjeel Malik