Former WWE Star Comments On Development Of Trainees Rhea Ripley & Raquel Rodriguez

While currently working as a producer and coach for AEW, Scotty 2 Hotty spent several years coaching at WWE's Performance Center where he trained both Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez. He saw them from the start of their WWE journeys and admitted that it's great to see where they are now, with both stars being key parts of the "WWE Raw" women's division.

"Even from the last time I spoke or saw Rhea to where she's at right now, just the way she's grown and developed and the character has taken on a life of its own, that's what you hope for," he told "Wrestling With Johnners." "Not only as a coach, but as talent that's what you hope for." 

Ripley has undergone a major character transformation from the person Scotty 2 Hotty originally coached, now portraying "Mami" in The Judgment Day and holding the WWE Women's World Championship. Meanwhile, Rodriguez is steadily rising as a star, with recent title opportunities, the latest of which will come at WWE's Crown Jewel.

"Sometimes it's hard to sit down and just kind of rack your brain and come up with something and sometimes you just have to hope that it happens and it's happened, definitely for Rhea," he said. "We see it starting to happen with Raquel where she is starting to take off now." 

Both Ripley and Rodriguez were given big opportunities as part of "WWE NXT" with each of them holding the "NXT" Women's Championship. Scotty 2 Hotty believes that people in WWE saw something special in them from the start.

"To see what they're out there doing now is so cool. Both of them, I think they're both bigger than wrestling," he said. "I could definitely see Rhea going on doing movies and Raquel doing movies."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Wrestling With Johnners" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.