Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley is an Australian professional wrestler signed to WWE, where she has won championships across NXT UK, NXT, Raw, and SmackDown. Raised in Adelaide, she started wrestling at age 16 with Riot City Wrestling before signing with WWE in 2017. She made history in 2018 as the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion and later captured the NXT Women's Championship. In 2023, Ripley won the Women's Royal Rumble match as the number one entrant, lasting over an hour before defeating Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 39. Her ensuing run as Women's World Champion lasted 380 days, tying the division's all-time record. A central figure in factions such as The Judgment Day and tag teams like the Terror Twins and Rhiyo, Ripley is the only competitor to win every major women's championship across WWE's modern brand roster.
Rhea Ripley entered the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble at number one and outlasted twenty-nine competitors to win the match. She dethroned Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39 soon after. With a distinct heavy metal style, she became the only wrestler to capture all five of WWE's primary women's championships. Her first reign as Women's World Champion spanned 380 days.
Personal life
Bennett married Australian professional wrestler Buddy Matthews in June 2024, following their engagement in August 2023. The pair began dating in 2022. Growing up in the beachside suburb of Glenelg, Bennett competed in association football, karate, rugby, netball, and swimming. She remains a supporter of Australian rules football club Adelaide.
Heavy metal shapes her presentation. She regularly listens to bands such as Motionless in White, Falling in Reverse, and Ice Nine Kills. Motionless in White co-wrote her WWE entrance music, "Demon In Your Dreams", and performed the track live during her ring entrance at WrestleMania XL. In April 2026, she publicly spoke about her struggles with an eating disorder.
Independent circuit and NXT UK debut
Bennett made her professional wrestling debut for Adelaide-based promotion Riot City Wrestling in June 2013 at age 16. She won the RCW Women's Championship twice. In 2015, she completed a tour across Japan, competing for promotions including Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling and World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana.
WWE signed Bennett in 2017. She adopted the ring name Rhea Ripley, combining the Greek goddess Rhea with the character Ellen Ripley from the Alien franchise. After debuting in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament, she altered her look and character for the 2018 edition, advancing to the semi-finals.
Ripley was placed on the original NXT UK roster in mid-2018. She entered an eight-woman tournament to crown the brand's first women's titleholder. By defeating Xia Brookside, Dakota Kai, and Toni Storm, she became the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion. The victory made her the first Australian woman to capture a title in WWE history. Her reign lasted 139 days before Storm defeated her in January 2019.
NXT championship run and main roster arrival
Ripley moved to the main NXT brand in August 2019, immediately targeting long-reigning champion Shayna Baszler. She led Team Ripley to victory in the first women's WarGames match and steered Team NXT to a win at Survivor Series. On 18 December 2019, she pinned Baszler to win the NXT Women's Championship.
Her title reign led directly to WWE's flagship event. Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair challenged Ripley, marking the first time an NXT title was contested at WrestleMania. Flair submitted Ripley at WrestleMania 36. Following the loss, Ripley returned briefly to Australia due to visa issues before wrapping up her NXT tenure in early 2021.
Ripley debuted full-time on Raw in March 2021 and immediately challenged Asuka. At WrestleMania 37, Ripley defeated Asuka to win the Raw Women's Championship. Flair took the title back at Money in the Bank that July. Ripley then formed a tag team with Nikki A.S.H., capturing the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in September 2021.
The Judgment Day and Women's World Champion
Ripley joined the faction The Judgment Day alongside Edge and Damian Priest at WrestleMania Backlash in May 2022. The group soon betrayed Edge, replacing him with Finn Bálor. Ripley became the enforcer of the stable. She formed an on-screen partnership with Dominik Mysterio, referring to herself as his "Mami".
Ripley entered the 2023 women's Royal Rumble match at number one, surviving for over 61 minutes to win the bout. She selected SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair as her WrestleMania 39 opponent. Ripley pinned Flair to win the SmackDown Women's Championship and complete WWE's Grand Slam at age 26.
The title was rebranded as the Women's World Championship in June 2023. Ripley defended it successfully against competitors including Natalya, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, and Becky Lynch. Her reign reached 380 days, tying Bayley for the longest in the title's history. An arm injury suffered during a backstage altercation with Liv Morgan forced Ripley to vacate the title in April 2024.
The Terror Twins and tag team success with Iyo Sky
Ripley returned to television in July 2024 to confront Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio. At SummerSlam 2024, Mysterio turned on Ripley, helping Morgan retain the championship. The betrayal turned Ripley into a fan favorite. She and Damian Priest were expelled from The Judgment Day, teaming up as the Terror Twins to feud against their former stablemates.
Ripley reclaimed the Women's World Championship by defeating Morgan on the premiere episode of Raw on Netflix in January 2025. She dropped the title to Iyo Sky two months later. At WrestleMania 41, Ripley, Sky, and Bianca Belair met in a triple threat title match that received a five-star rating from wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer.
Ripley then formed a tag team with Sky, known as Rhiyo. The duo defeated The Kabuki Warriors in January 2026 to claim the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Ripley followed that title run by winning the 2026 Elimination Chamber match and defeating Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42 to capture the WWE Women's Championship.
Quick facts
- Bennett chose her ring name by pairing the Greek goddess Rhea with the character Ellen Ripley from the Alien movie franchise.
- She was the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion, winning an eight-woman tournament final against Toni Storm in August 2018.
- She became the first female Australian wrestler to capture a championship title in WWE history.
- In 2023, she became the first woman and fourth competitor ever to win a Royal Rumble match entering from the number one spot.
- Her 380-day reign as Women's World Champion tied Bayley for the longest reign in the championship's history.
- At age 26, her victory at WrestleMania 39 made her the youngest Grand Slam champion in WWE history.
- In December 2022, she competed in a rare intergender singles match on Raw, defeating Akira Tozawa.
- Metalcore group Motionless in White co-wrote her theme song 'Demon In Your Dreams' and performed it live for her at WrestleMania XL.
- Her WrestleMania 41 triple threat match against Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair received a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer, the first WWE women's match to achieve that score.
- She won the Riot City Wrestling Women's Championship twice in Australia before signing with WWE.
- Ripley and Bianca Belair appeared as the joint cover stars for the deluxe edition of the video game WWE 2K24.
FAQs about Rhea Ripley
Who is Rhea Ripley's ex?
Prior to her marriage to Buddy Matthews, she was in a relationship with fellow professional wrestler Demetri Jackson.
What happened to Rhea's face?
Ripley sustained an orbital bone injury in late October 2024. When she returned to WWE programming three weeks later, she wore a protective face shield in the ring.
What ethnicity is Rhea Ripley?
Ripley is an Australian of Italian descent on her mother's side.
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