Rhea Ripley Addresses Michael Jordan Fake Story, WWE Rumors on Pat McAfee, WrestleMania Ticket Sales

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Rhea Ripley Talks Fake Story About Jordan Endorsement

During an interview this week with Complex (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley discussed a fake story that circulated about her signing an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand.

When Complex's Joe La Puma mentioned that the story was fake, Ripley joked, "I mean, I wish it wasn't."

La Puma went on to note that many people in the comments thought the story was real, prompting them to post about their intentions to purchase their first pair of Jordans.

Ripley was taken aback by the response, saying, "Dude, that's wild that people were commenting that. Like, Jordans is a massive brand—they've been around for so long, and they have so many different styles. To say that it might be the first pair you buy because it's a 'Mami Ripley' pair is insane."

When asked about her interest level in a legitimate shoe deal, Ripley mentioned wanting to work with Vans since she wears their shoes daily.

Ripley even recounted an attempt to make contact with Vans in the past that wasn't reciprocated, saying, "And I remember when I first started in WWE, my name started getting a little bit bigger, and I messaged them ages ago. They never got back to me. Yeah, I slid into their DMs and they didn't respond."

Based on crowd reactions, it is fair to say that Ripley is the biggest women's wrestling star in WWE, and among the company's biggest stars in general.

Because of that, it is no surprise that she is lined up for a massive match this weekend at WrestleMania 42, as she will challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's Championship on Sunday night.

If Rhea is victorious on the Grandest Stage of Them All, she will become a four-time WWE women's champ and further cement her status as one of WWE's cornerstone Superstars.

WWE Reportedly Allowing Talent to Speak Publicly About McAfee

Former NFL punter and current sports media mogul Pat McAfee has made some controversial comments the past couple of weeks on SmackDown, and WWE reportedly isn't preventing its talent from speaking out about it.

According to Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), there are "no restrictions" being placed on WWE Superstars when it comes to talking about McAfee and his comments.

Fightful added that WWE officials "seem to like the buzz" associated with talent talking about McAfee, even if it is negative.

Damian Priest, who is one half of the WWE tag team champions, recent made his feelings known about McAfee's promos during an appearance on Gabby AF with Gabby LaSpisa (h/t Upton):

When asked about McAfee's comments, Priest said, "It sucks. Not a fan. You know, somebody who knows Pat, get along with him. But for me, that's not my taste. I don't think it helps anything. He didn't need it. So for me, and, you know, I'm sure a lot of people aren't going to be happy that I said that, but in the locker room specifically, like a lot of us weren't happy and that's real."

Priest seemed to be referencing McAfee's criticism of the current product and some of the current wrestlers a couple of weeks ago on SmackDown.

McAfee was revealed as the person Randy Orton had been talking to on the phone, and he officially aligned himself with Orton by hitting WWE champion Cody Rhodes with a low blow.

After airing his grievances regarding the current state of WWE, McAfee declared that he would help Orton save wrestling by beating Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.

McAfee's comments thus far have blurred the lines between storyline and reality, and WWE apparently has no problem with its performers sounding off about it.

Reported WrestleMania Ticket Movement After Discount Announcement

McAfee's announcement last week on SmackDown of a discount on WrestleMania 42 Night 1 tickets reportedly drove some sales ahead of this weekend's Showcase of the Immortals.

During SmackDown, McAfee announced a 25 percent discount on Night 1 tickets, which was in direct response to a promo from CM Punk on Raw about lowering ticket prices to better accommodate the WWE fanbase.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Carrier), an additional 1,200 Night 1 tickets were sold after the discount was announced, bringing the paid attendance for Night 1 over the 40,000 market.

However, Meltzer noted that even more Night 2 tickets were sold with 1,400 of them being purchased despite the lack of a discount.

McAfee offered the Night 1 discount and pushed for Night 1 since that show will be headlined by Orton vs. Rhodes for the WWE Championship.

He essentially told fans to avoid Night 2 due to his war of words with Punk, but the WWE Universe didn't listen.

Night 2 is set to be headlined by Punk vs. Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship, which feels every bit like the biggest match on the card, and is perhaps the driving force behind those Night 2 sales.

While WrestleMania 42 ticket sales have been sluggish compared to recent years for myriad reasons, including high prices and potential fatigue from WrestleMania being held in Las Vegas two years in a row, interest does seem to be growing as the event draws closer.