Rhea Ripley Discusses Having Been 'On The Chopping Block' In WWE, Transformation

Back when current WWE Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley got her start in WWE several years ago, the Australian-born wrestler's appearance was significantly different from what fans see of her today. According to the Judgment Day member, her then-generic presentation, which she told The Ringer was comparable to many of the wrestlers in the women's locker room at that time, was not favored behind the curtain. "I was on the chopping block," Ripley said. "I nearly got fired a few times. I don't know if they wanted me to know that, but I did know that."

Of course, Ripley remained contracted to WWE, and over the last few years, she has completely transformed from the 20-year-old Ripley who made her WWE debut in the 2017 Mae Young Classic. The champion's jet-black hair, dark makeup, intimidating physique, and ruthless attitude are just some of the features that now make her stand out from the rest. She has ultimately become one of WWE's biggest acts. The 2023 women's Royal Rumble winner explained that her grunge aesthetic is inspired by bands she listens to that are unconcerned about their appearance or behavior.

After almost finding herself without a job early into her tenure with the promotion, Ripley, who is not currently booked on the Royal Rumble card this weekend, is no longer hesitant to take risks in order to be more authentic on WWE programming. "If I'm going to die on a sword, I'm going to die on the sword that I put down and be my genuine self. If I don't make it that way, then it wasn't meant to be."