NXT: Rhea Ripley Is Here Now, Plans To Rip Apart Shayna Baszler

LaToya Ferguson
Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley (source: WWE)
Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley (source: WWE)
NXT – August 28, 2019

With Mia Yim in the rearview, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler faces a new threat in the form of a new challenger: former NXT UK Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. That’s right, “The Mosh Pit Kid” has made the jump from the NXT UK brand to NXT proper, and her first order of business is going right for the biggest girl in the yard, “The Queen of Spades.”

While Shayna was more than ready to come to the ring and brag about how she (and Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir) took out Mia last week, Rhea had other ideas. The former NXT UK Women’s Champ made a statement by interrupting the current NXT Women’s Champ in the first place, before she could even say one word. And then she followed up on that statement by snatching the microphone out of Shayna’s hand and noting a simple truth: Shayna has beaten pretty much everyone around these black and gold parts, but she’s never beaten Rhea. Actually, she said it far less respectfully:

In fact, the only time these two Superstars would have even had the opportunity to cross paths would have been the first Mae Young Classic tournament… and Rhea was eliminated by a former thorn in Shayna’s side, Dakota Kai, while Shayna went all the way to the finals (against another thorn in her side, Kairi Sane).

Surprisingly, Rhea Ripley didn’t suffer the consequences for her bold words. At least, not this time around. Instead, Shayna Baszler and the Horsewomen left the challenger alone in the ring. There’s been no official confirmation yet that the champ will accept the challenge, but I’m willing to bet she will. She hasn’t backed down from a challenge yet.


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