Rhea Ripley Should Win the WWE Intercontinental Championship in 2024

Rhea Ripley should win the WWE Intercontinental Championship in 2024. WrestleMania 40 kicked off Saturday with Rhea Ripley defending her title against Becky Lynch. The champion's dominant performance left the commentary team stunned, wondering what come next.

Having run through most of the women's division, Ripley has been in a position to hold her title for a long time. However, another year without doing something befitting her status in WWE would be unfortunate. To keep her interesting, and to avoid the mistake of inactivity from last year, WWE needs to get creative. Their most dominant woman since Chyna should follow in that icon's footsteps and start increasing her interaction with the men and the Intercontinental title. 

Winning the Intercontinental title enhances her aura. 

Gunther has made the Intercontinental Championship feel incredibly important. Sami Zayn also won his match at WrestleMania 40, putting that title onto a bonafide main event star. While Gunther's path is pretty straightforward, a world title match this summer, Sami's isn't. Like Rhea, there isn't a clear direction for the new Intercontinental champion. He needs a signature feud far more than a lengthy title reign, something he did not get after his win at WrestleMania 39. 

A potential clash between Rhea and Sami would not only reignite their Judgment Day rivalry but also promise a captivating storyline befitting two colossal stars. Sami Zayn can afford a loss after a pair of WrestleMania moments under his belt; it would hold far more significance for Rhea Ripley. Like her predecessor, Chyna, Ripley is a trailblazer, standing out from the crowded women's division. Chyna's legacy is intertwined with the title currently in Zayn's possession, and recreating that moment would be a fitting way to utilize Zayn's talents and reward Rhea's incredible rise. 

It allows her to be featured more prominently at every event 

The Rhea Ripley Women's title reign featured many performance gaps. In a perfect world, the women's world title would always get a featured spot. It appears that because Ripley was involved in Judgment Day, she was often moved into the managerial role. That would provide a spot for her on the card and make space for other competitors, giving everyone time in front of the fans. It was a great idea for maximizing talent, but it disappointed many Rhea fans. Likewise, the talented Ripley is always presented as a monster. Still, with frequent breaks, it comes off as telling the fans rather than showing them. 

Unlike a women's title, the Intercontinental Championship is far less likely to miss a premium live event. A historic Intercontinental champion is even doubly likely to be on the card. Making up for lost time and ensuring Rhea feels how she is often presented will require some serious television time and standout matches. Holding two titles and beating down everyone, man or woman, will make that happen. And when she is finally defeated for both titles, it will mean more. 

Rhea Ripley needs to be part of The Judgment Day fallout

The power struggle between Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley has never been fully realized. Since they are unable to fight one another, the tension has always hung in the air. After how Judgment Day has come out on top over WrestleMania 40 weekend, that tension over who is truly in charge is sure to keep growing. If Rhea joins the Intercontinental title scene on Raw, those two can finally settle their simmering grievances. One way or another the top talent on Raw is headed for a showdown sooner or later.

Beyond Damian Priest, all of Judgment Day will end in a fiery display of aggression. The fallout from their explosive feud would feel off if the heart of the faction couldn't be involved. Dominik Mysterio has surprisingly found himself a new alliance that will almost certainly take him in when his current crew craters. So, with Dom likely going on his own, it would be strange to have him as Rhea's proxy, just for them to split later. Ripley should be at its center when the fight between Judgment Day breaks out. Giving her a men's title beforehand can function as an inciting incident and extra stakes. It will also get fans used to seeing Rhea working with and defeating male superstars. 

Rhea Ripley Should Win the WWE Intercontinental Championship by SummerSlam

Rhea Ripley doesn't need to win the championship right away. Taking away the belt from Sami Zayn too soon would diminish the highlight of the massive Wrestlemania 40. As WWE heads into a traditionally quiet period before a rush of activity in the summer, a historic title win would inject some much-needed intrigue into the product. Rhea has proven to be as big a star as any of the male talent on Raw, so getting her involved with the men makes sense. The future for Rhea Ripley has always been bright. As the Intercontinental champion, though, she can have herself an iconic moment.