WWE: Five potential opponents for Rhea Ripley on the main roster

After a month of vignettes hyping her re-emergence, Rhea Ripley finally debuted on the main roster during the latest edition of WWE Raw to challenge Asuka to a match for the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37. Not one to back down from a fight, “The Empress of Tomorrow” accepted.

This is considered a dream match for many fans — one that we got a glimpse of at Survivor Series 2019 when they were on opposite teams. Since that event, both have said they want a match against each other. When asked who she wanted to face if WWE held another Evolution pay-per-view, Asuka named Ripley. The former NXT UK Women’s Champion responded to the proposition by stating she “always wanted to face Asuka”.

Once her program with Asuka concludes — win or lose — Ripley will need opponents to either defend her newly won title against or rack up wins against until she becomes the number one contender to face Asuka again. With that in mind…

Here are five superstars Rhea Ripley could stand across the ring from on the main roster.

5. Peyton Royce

On a recent edition of Raw Talk, Peyton Royce cut the best promo of her career to date. The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion begged WWE management for a chance to showcase her in-ring talent. Royce stated she was sick and tired of being overlooked since splitting from Billie Kay last August. Those thoughts will intensify with Rhea Ripley coming to Raw and getting placed in the title picture straight away.

Royce would be jealous of Ripley and target her out of frustration. Both women are also from Australia, which should add some depth to the animus. Royce needs to be rebuilt before becoming a serious threat to Ripley, but this would be a way for the latter to stack up wins and look impressive while doing it; Royce is a very good seller.

This does not have to be a long-term program for Ripley, just something to keep her occupied if WWE decided not to put the title on her straight away. Ripley needs to look like a star from the get-go; a convincing over Royce would do just that.

4. Mia Yim

At Fastlane, WWE teased the end of RETEBUTION. That means no more RECKONING, so Mia Yim can return to the gimmick she had in NXT and become an adversary for Ripley.

Both of them are popular with the WWE Universe, and it is a match people want to see.

Since they did not have a televised singles match against one another in NXT, it would be a fresh encounter, something the WWE women’s division lacks at the moment.

Yim’s hard-hitting style would mesh well with Ripley’s physicality. Yim will want to impress after her disastrous spell in RETEBUTION; it is hard to believe she has not wrestled in 2021 so far.

There would be no better way for Yim to put the past behind her than have great matches with Ripley. It would be disappointing if these two great athletes did not get the chance to face each other sooner rather than later.

3. Shayna Baszler

While Ripley has little history with Yim – she does have plenty with Shayna Baszler. It would be great to see them clash on the main roster.

“The Submission Magician” held the NXT Women’s Championship for a remarkable 416 days, the second-longest reign in NXT history, until Ripley beat her in December 2019. The celebration afterward, which included confetti falling from the Fail Sail ceiling and wrestlers joining Ripley in the ring to congratulate her, were great. It felt like a big deal, as Ripley had conquered her biggest demon. WWE could call back to those scenes as a way to reignite their rivalry.

Baszler, still aggrieved over losing the title, will want to prove that she can beat Ripley and show that her loss to her 16 months ago was a fluke. Ripley will be out to prove she is the better woman and repeat the trick — the storyline writes itself.

When Ripley shows up on Raw, she will need strong opponents to get off to the best start possible. Plus, given how good both are in the ring, a series of contests between these combatants is guaranteed to produce quality matches. Hopefully, WWE revisits their past to bring it to the present.

2. Bianca Belair

Yes, they are on different shows right now, but the brand-to-brand invitation means that a match between Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley can happen in 2021.

These two have a history: They collided at NXT TakeOver: Portland last year, and Belair eliminated Ripley to win the Royal Rumble two months ago. Ripley could make her way to SmackDown in a one-off appearance, claiming she was robbed at the Rumble and wants to prove she is better than the self-proclaimed “Est of WWE”.

This match would be easy to book and would give the WWE Universe a great contest. Who knows, if they are drafted to the same brand later this year, they could even have a long-term program with a title on the line. These two have great in-ring chemistry, so it would be a pleasure to see them in the same ring together again. They also have the talent to lead the company for the next 10 years; their rivalry could become the modern-day Trish Stratus vs. Lita.

Raw has a lot of great talent Ripley could face, but so does the blue brand. Hopefully, WWE realizes this and lets the Australian get reacquainted with her old rival.

1. Charlotte Flair

When Rhea Ripley comes to Raw, the woman she needs to target first is Charlotte Flair. “The Queen” is responsible the Ripley’s most devastating loss to date, so she must seek revenge at the first opportunity.

These two women created history at WrestleMania last year; it was the first time an NXT Championship had been defended on the show. They put on a hell of a match that night, and Part II could be better.

After losing to Flair, Ripley tried and failed to recapture the gold, but could not get the job done. She also lost high-profile matches to Raquel Gonzalez and Toni Storm, clearly showing that the 24-year-old was not the same without her title; that defeat affected her.

To be the woman, you have to beat the woman. Like it or not, the fact Flair has won more titles than any other female in WWE history means she can call herself one the greatest of all time. Ripley beating the master of the Figure Eight would be a big boost for her career. It would be her redemption.