Rhea Ripley has responded to the criticism of her viral clip.
The former Women’s Champion spoke to Chris Van Vliet for an interview recently. She talked about things such as a terrifying incident of a fan showing up at her house, the back injury she has been living with for years and more.
During the discussion, the Mami also opened up about the viral clip of her giving stinkface to Nia Jax during a house show in March 2024. Rhea Ripley revealed that the idea was pitched by Jax herself and she had no idea it would explode on social media like it did:
“I knew it was gonna be big, but that sh*t exploded. It wasn’t even my idea. It was Nia’s idea. She’s like, ‘Yeah. And then you stink face me.’ I’m like, ok, if you want. It still pops up on my Twitter, it’s wild. I got so much publicity off that, but I also got so much like, negativity. I was like guys; you need to calm down.”
Rhea Ripley unleash Rikishi stinkface on Nia jax face pic.twitter.com/BvVJ1cy7QC
— iZone Entertainment (@JustFactHub) March 24, 2024
Am I Not Allowed To Have Fun?: Rhea Ripley
When asked what kind of negativity she is talking about, Rhea Ripley revealed that some fans have criticized the spot, saying that she is undermining the evolution of women’s wrestling. The former champion however, said that it was just a fun moment that shouldn’t be taken seriously:
“Just people were saying that I’m taking the women’s division back 20 years. And I’m like, That’s not what’s happening. It’s a fun moment, and it’s a house show. Am I not allowed to have fun? If it was anyone else, you’d be supporting it.
I feel like people love to hate Rhea Ripley. And you know, the more you talk about me, the more you act like a fan, so continue talking. It wasn’t even my idea, Nia wanted to take my ass to her face, just trying to make the wishes come true.”
Apart from this, Rhea Ripley discussed how she came up with her ring name, the origin of her finisher Riptide and more. You can check out her full interview below: