During the lead-up to her incredible match with Charlotte Flair, one of the best of WrestleMania 39, Rhea Ripley delivered several promos and was involved in several segments with her opponent. Sometimes she brought Dominik Mysterio out with her. Other times he stayed in the back and she went solo. That continued a pattern we’ve seen in which Dom is a consistent presence but not a constant. His absence isn’t typically explained when he’s not around, but it turns out there’s quite a bit of thought put into when he’s there and when he’s not.
CinemaBlend got a chance to catch up with Rhea Ripley during WrestleMania weekend. During our conversation, I asked her about how she decides whether to bring Dominik Mysterio or whether to leave him in the dressing room. She said sometimes she can’t bring him because of his schedule, but a lot of the time, it comes down to what she’s trying to express and whether he’ll help or hurt that message. Here’s a portion of her quote…
Sometimes I want to get my point across without the focus being on Dom. So, it’s more what I have to say and what’s going on (during my promo) that night.
Wrestling is about setting a tone. It’s about giving off a vibe and creating a scene. That’s why costuming is so important, and that’s why the decision of whether to go out alone or bring a valet or other members of your faction is important. It all changes, if only ever so slightly, what you’re projecting to the audience, and when it comes to Dominik Mysterio, it’s not ever so slight.
Unlike the majority of valets or back-ups that don’t have major outside the primary talent they’re supporting, Mysterio is involved in one of the hottest angles in WWE. His feud with his father is drawing Attitude Era levels of heat. I sat next to a grandma at a recent Raw taping who told me she wanted to go to ringside and beat his ass herself. When he’s at the ring, people are looking for reasons to boo him and scream at him. That’s a big help if Rhea is just trying to draw as many boos as possible, but it can be a hindrance if she’s trying to get people to listen to what she has to say or communicate a certain kind of message.
WWE is in a really interesting position with Rhea Ripley right now. She beat Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39 for the Smackdown Women’s Championship this past weekend, and despite being a heel on paper, the crowd very noticeably got behind her. That leaves Triple H and the writers (or maybe Vince McMahon?) with a choice of whether to keep her as a heel or turn her into a face. Personally, I think they should keep her as a heel because her look is great and also, because Judgment Day gives her so many options. Everyone focuses on Dominik Mysterio because he’s so hot right now, but doing promos with Damian Priest is also a good look that brings a completely different dynamic. I wish she’d do that more and play the look how intimidating we both are card, which she can’t do with Dom.
With Dom or without Dom, as a heel or as a face, Rhea Ripley is a generational talent. She may have just missed out on main eventing WrestleMania 39, but she should be in so many key spots in so many premium live events moving forward that it won’t matter in the long run. I can’t wait to see how her career develops, and it’s awesome to know she’s putting so much psychological thought into the pros and cons of using Dom.