In his latest, PWP Nation’s Caden Moran gives his thoughts on NXT UK superstar, Rhea Ripley, and why he believes she is the future of WWE’s women’s division

When it comes to the world of professional wrestling, we as fans are always keeping our eye out for the next big thing. Looking towards the future is always on the mind of those in the land of sports entertainment, and in my opinion, I believe we have found the future.

The potential and entertainment value of women’s wrestling right now is currently at an all-time high. For example, Becky Lynch is easily the best thing going in not just in WWE, but the best thing going in the world in general. When it comes to the future of professional wrestling and the future of WWE, I see the future as a woman. More specifically, I see the future as an edgy, hardcore, and arrogant woman.

This edgy, hardcore, and arrogant woman’s name is Rhea Ripley.

“The Mosh-Pit Kid” Rhea Ripley arguably had the biggest breakout year of any up and coming star in 2018. Going from a second round exit in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017 to the semi-finals in 2018, Rhea Ripley made herself known. Not only did Rhea Ripley have a strong performance in the Mae Young Classic (MYC), she solidified herself as a threat by becoming the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion. Rhea Ripley had a phenomenal 2018, and she is set to have a phenomenal 2019, 2020, and so on.

Every time I see Rhea Ripley, the more fond of her I become. So, what exactly makes me believe that Rhea Ripley is the future of WWE’s women’s division? Allow me to explain.

First off, let us talk about the character that Rhea Ripley possesses.

In 2017, we saw a completely different version of the Australian compared to what we see today. During the first ever Mae Young Classic two years ago, Rhea Ripley did not really stand out. She was your typical babyface who followed the rules and showed respect to her opponent. However, over the next year, a dark side awakened inside of Rhea Ripley. In 2018, Ripley returned to the Mae Young Classic with a revamped appearance, and new-found attitude towards her opponents, and the game in general.

Rhea Ripley made her presence felt during the second ever Mae Young Classic tournament. Ripley went from a flashy and colorful babyface to becoming a darker and more sinister heel. Rhea began to disrespect her opponents and began to show a disregard for what is right. All Rhea Ripley cared about was making her name known and winning the tournament anyway she could. Even though Rhea Ripley failed to win the MYC, she made her name known as she made it to the semi-finals.

Rhea’s drastic change in character and appearance proved to all of us that she is the real deal. What makes her character so important is that it feels genuine. When I watch Rhea Ripley and how she looks and moves, I can tell that what we see is what we should have been seeing in 2017. The edgy, disrespectful, and arrogant attitude that Ripley displays feels real. We do not see that with most women today in WWE.

Rhea Ripley is a true heel. She is able to draw genuine heat, and given the right babyface opponent, she can easily be the most hated person in the room.

Another aspect to Rhea Ripley’s character is her incredible Twitter game. Obviously, Becky Lynch is the Queen, or the “Man”, of roasting everybody on Twitter. However, Rhea Ripley is not far behind.

During the quarterfinals of the 2018 MYC, Ripley defeated fan favorite Tegan Nox after Nox injured her knee in the match. As I mentioned earlier, if given the right babyface opponent, Rhea Ripley can easily be the most hated person in the room. She became just that thanks to her game on Twitter.

In the days that followed after Tegan Nox tore her knee, Rhea took full advantage of the situation. As you can see below, Rhea mocked Tegan Nox in just a few of many heel-induced tweets.

As you can probably tell, Rhea Ripley is very confident in herself and her abilities when it comes to drawing heat. Her character is not the only thing that Rhea is confident about. When it comes to the game of professional wrestling as a whole, Rhea Ripley oozes confidence.

A couple of days ago, I went back and watched some of Rhea Ripley’s matches on NXT UK. During her performances against the likes of Toni Storm, Isla Dawn, and Deonna Purrazzo, all I could think of is how confident Ripley is.

From the minute that Rhea Ripley makes her entrance, which is bad-ass itself, “The Mosh-Pit Kid” just oozes confidence. You can tell by looking at her and the way she carries herself, Rhea Ripley believes she is one of, if not the, very best. At her age, which I will get to in a moment, you would think that Rhea would not be as confident as she is. She carries herself like a champion and she wants us to know that if she believes that she is the best, we will recognize her as the best.

Another woman who carries herself in a similar way is that of Sasha Banks. “The Boss” truly believes she is the best female wrestler in WWE history, and that is the mentality you need to have in order to succeed. If Rhea Ripley continues to show the confidence and swagger that she does, the sky is the limit for the 22 year old from Adelaide, Australia.

Rhea Ripley has the look, character, entrance, and demeanor of someone who can be considered the future. However, there is one aspect of the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion that stands out above anything else: her age.

Rhea Ripley is only 22 years old. Think about that for just a minute.

At only 22 years old, Rhea Ripley has the entire world in her hands. From being a part of both MYC tournaments to being crowned the first ever NXT UK Women’s Champion, to being a part of the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble match, Ripley has done more at 22 than most of us will in our entire lives.

Time is on Rhea Ripley’s side. She has all the time in the world to continue to grow and improve her abilities.

Think about this, as well. Nigel McGuinness, who is one of the very best in professional wrestling history, did not step into a ring until he was 23. Rhea Ripley already has her name in the WWE championship record books.

When you look towards the future in the business of professional wrestling, you want someone young you can rely on. Rhea Ripley is that someone. If given more development and opportunities like the ones she has been given already, the sky is the limit for Rhea Ripley.

Rhea Ripley has all the tools to succeed in WWE, as she has proven already. Her character is one of the best and is one of the few that feels genuine. She carries herself as one of the best and like a true champion. Most importantly, she is only 22 years old. I cannot stress that point enough.

I firmly believe that the future has Rhea Ripley’s name written all over it. In a world where women are consistently stealing the show and making their names known, it will not be long until Rhea Ripley does the same.

For more news, updates, and articles, follow PWP Nation on Twitter @PWPNation

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR