Rhea Ripley Is What Happens When WWE Finally Gets It Right

Rhea Ripley is one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling, a force of nature who demands attention much in the same way that Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins do when they set foot in arenas around the world.

The pop from the audience when Chris Motionless screams "This is my brutality!" is matched by few, if any, and the aura with which The Eradicator carries herself as she makes her way to the ring, interacting with fans along the way, is that of a megastar.

A megastar that she has evolved into, especially over the last three years.

Ripley has it all: In-ring ability on par with that of the best big-match performers in the industry, a marketable look, crowd psychology, a character that fans relate to, one of the biggest social media followings in the business, and an undeniable presence that sets her apart from her peers.

It took the 29-year-old a few years to find herself and discover all of those elements of her persona, but once she did and WWE figured out how to present it on television, there was no looking back.

Even as Dominik Mysterio's "Mami" during her time with The Judgment Day, Ripley routinely received some of the loudest reactions of the shows she appeared on, indicative of an audience ready to throw its support behind her and launch her into a new stratosphere of superstardom.

The Australian is one of the most visible stars in the company, sells out ticketed meet-and-greets, and has been among the top merchandise movers on WWE.com for well over a year, routinely appearing among the likes of John Cena, Punk, Rhodes, Reigns, and Uso.

There is an argument to be made that Ripley has transcended even superstardom, entering the rarefied air of mega-stardom reserved for the biggest and most recognized names in pro wrestling. With 13.5 million followers across social media, her exposure to an audience outside of the sports-entertainment bubble is undeniable.

She is a pop culture phenomenon, recognizable by fans who have little exposure to the WWE program and those who couldn't care less what The Bloodline is up to, who is challenging Rhodes, and whether Punk and Jey Uso can get along this week.

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She is an alternative, raven-haired badass with tattoos; a woman outshining her peers in a male-dominated industry.

She has crossed over to the realm of horror films, earning recognition for her fandom of Art the Clown of the Terrifier film series and even has her own line of merchandise featuring the titular figure in Hot Topic stores across the country.

Ripley earned every bit of exposure and popularity that she has today and is a shining example of what is possible when the WWE machine recognizes that invaluable connection with the audience, mainstream appeal and marketability, and pushes its performers accordingly.

There is still a sense, despite all of her success, that the company could be doing even more right by Ripley.

Tuesday brought the reveal of the WrestleMania 42 trailer, featuring the usual cast of headliners in Punk, Reigns, Rhodes and Brock Lesnar, along with Triple H and Paul Heyman.

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There is a very real and valid argument to be made that Ripley not only belongs in that collection of Superstars but has also eclipsed the meaningfulness and value of The Beast Incarnate in 2025.

However, that is a discussion for another time.

Ripley is as big a star as there is in the industry today and proof of what happens when WWE listens to the audience, recognizes one of its talent's star potential and acts on it.

She is still in the relative infancy of a potential Hall of Fame career, with the potential to be the top star in an industry she already has in the palm of her hand.

She did not pick up the ball and run with it, she snatched it from management and sprinted around the world with it, becoming a top-tier star, an international sensation responsible for the growth of Australia on the worldwide wrestling scene, and a legitimate mainstream success story who did not need Hollywood representation or diminishing action movies to make her name for herself.

Now, it is time for WWE to build on that, toss out that boys' club mentality, and put Ripley front and center alongside the most recognizable faces in the industry because she belongs as one of the centerpieces of its promotional efforts, a star burning as brightly as any.