WWE announces that Rhea Ripley will reveal her WrestleMania 39 opponent during the January 30th episode of “WWE Raw.” Ripley was victorious in the women’s Royal Rumble match, entering at number one and eliminating both Asuka and Liv Morgan.
Ripley made history by winning the women’s Royal Rumble as the first entrant, becoming the first female and only the fourth WWE star to do so.
Rhea Ripley’s choice is between challenging for the “Raw” or “SmackDown” Women’s Championship. Bianca Belair holds the “Raw” title, while Charlotte Flair is the reigning “SmackDown” Women’s Champion.
Ripley has faced Belair and Flair before. The last two competitors in the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble were Ripley and Belair, who rose to prominence on the WWE’s main roster from the “NXT” brand. Belair emerged victorious and won the WWE “SmackDown” Women’s Championship from Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37.
Rhea Ripley has unfinished business with both Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. In 2020, she lost her “NXT” Women’s Championship to Flair at WrestleMania 36 in her first WrestleMania match. Ripley and Belair were the final two in the 2021 women’s Royal Rumble match, having risen through the WWE’s “NXT” brand to the main roster. Belair went on to win and capture the “SmackDown” Women’s Championship from Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37. It will soon be clear which champion has Ripley’s focus at this year’s WrestleMania.
