WWE Top 5 Matches Of The Week: Rhea Ripley Owns NXT UK

Credit: WWE.com

This week, SmackDown Live and Raw didn’t have any of the top five best matches in WWE this week, as the television episodes were light following a strong showing at Survivor Series.

WWE NXT UK has consistently been a strong show, with the likes of Dakota Kai, Tyler Bate, Rhea Ripley, Jinny, and Danny Burch shining on a week-to-week basis. Ripley had a particularly strong week, winning two matches to march into the finals, where she will take on Mae Young Classic 2 winner Toni Storm.

Before getting into the list, I want to clarify that this only takes into account matches on WWE weekly television. So NXT TakeOver and main roster Pay Per Views do not count.

NXT UK: Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai

We’ve seen plenty of Dakota Kai in NXT UK, but this may have been her strongest showing yet. It was certainly the best I’ve seen from Rhea Ripley, who is well on her way to being one of the best heels in WWE. I mean, who can ever forget the way she mocked Tegan Nox’s heart-breaking injury?

This match may have been the best women’s match in NXT UK thus far, which is saying something since the women have consistently been the best part of the show. Ripley and Kai traded strikes and went move-for-move with each other before Ripley scored another sudden victory with her powerful finisher (the Riptide).

From her entrance music, to her walk, to her trash-talk, and to her actual moves in the ring, Ripley has become NXT UK’s resident bad-ass and rising star. It feels like everyone in the division, Toni Storm included, will have to chase her.

Recall that Kai eliminated Ripley in the second round of the first Mae Young Classic, so this was some pretty damn sweet revenge for Ripley.