WWE WrestleMania 39 (Night One) saw Rhea Ripley defeat Charlotte Flair in an incredible match to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
At the post-show press conference, the new champ discussed what’s next for her. She said,
“What’s next for Rhea Ripley? I mean, complete control and domination of the women’s division. I am now the Smackdown Women’s Champion, and I’m not stopping there. I’m going to prove to everyone who Rhea Bloody Ripley is, and I’m going to make my own destiny and my own legacy when I take over WWE — with my fellow members of the Judgment Day, that is.”
Discussing her win on Saturday night, Ripley reminisced about WrestleMania 36, when she lost the NXT Women’s Championship to Flair.
“Man, it’s extremely satisfying. Going into WrestleMania 36, it was my first WrestleMania. I was NXT Women’s Champion, and Charlotte had just won the Royal Rumble. And I was like, ‘You know what, if she wants to challenge me, bring it.’ And unfortunately for me, my first WrestleMania was at a time when the world was shut down. So we had zero people in attendance. We were at the Performance Center, which is where I had trained every single day for the past two to three years. And it was the one place where I really didn’t want to go to, but at the end of the day, I think Charlotte and I still stole the show that night.”
Coming back to the present, Ripley expressed her satisfaction following her win over Charlotte.
“So, I’m very, very proud of that match, but going out there tonight at WrestleMania 39 — in Hollywood — I’m the Royal Rumble winner, I challenged Charlotte for the Smackdown Women’s Championship, and I came out victorious this time. It is so extremely satisfying. And I have to give it to Charlotte; she put up a mean fight and I didn’t really expect anything less from her. I know exactly how she is in the ring, and I knew that I had to bring everything that I had. So, I did, and now you’re looking at the new Smackdown Women’s Champion.”
