WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley took to social media on Wednesday to address what she considers the most problematic fans of women’s wrestling.
The multi-time world champion is fed up with the hypocrisy of fans who claim to support women’s wrestling while simultaneously undermining female performers with sexist assumptions and harmful rhetoric.
Ripley tweeted:
“Women’s wrestling fan – “women deserve better” (Same breath) – “she’s sleeping with her boss that’s why she’s where she is” – “She should retire” – “She doesn’t deserve it” – “She’s handed everything and never worked for anything” – “I hope she gets injured” YOU guys are the real reason it’s so difficult to be taken seriously as a women’s wrestler. If YOU put as much effort into your own miserable lives as you put into degrading successful women, then maybe you would accomplish something yourself.”
Ripley points out that this toxic behavior contributes to the ongoing challenges women face in gaining respect in professional wrestling.