During WrestleMania 40 Rhea Ripley had an entrance fit for a champion when her favorite band Motionless in White performed her entrance theme live for her title match against Becky Lynch. Ripley’s joy was infectious as she rocked out onstage with the band and made her way to the ring where she eventually left the match on top as usual. She held the championship for 380 days before being forced to vacate it due to injury just days later. In an interview with ComicBook at the WWE SummerSlam media junket, Ripley explains how her surreal entrance came together.
Videos by ComicBook.com
How WWE Gave Rhea Ripley the Moment of a Lifetime At WrestleMania 40
“So Neil [Lawi], the music guy, he knows how much I love them boys and he wanted myย WrestleManiaย to be magical. So the legend reached and got in Hunter’s ear and was like, ‘hey, we should get the band for Rhea.’ So that’s what he did and I’m so grateful. I’m so thankful because I love Motionless in White and that really did make myย WrestleManiaย even better.ย
I was so nervous before going out there and I was like, I’ve said it before on interviews, I had like a two hour panic attack. It was absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know what was happening, but going out onto the stage and even seeing the band before I went out there, but going out there and getting that moment with Chris and Motionless in White, it sort of snapped me back to Rhea Ripley and back to reality. It helped me get that fire and that motivation to go in there and continue my championship reign.”
When asked if she’s seen the comments from fans about her and Chris Motionless’ similarities in their appearance, she laughed. “I’ve seen them, it’s been that for a while! Yeah, I think ever since, wow, ever since I cut my hair pretty much when I cut it short into the pixie cut. They were like, ‘oh my God, she looks like the blonde version of Chris Motionless,’ and then I dyed it black and they’re like, ‘sheย reallyย looks like Chris Motionless!’ย
So it was sort of cool to have that face off where we did look like twins. And it’s funny because he had myย WrestleMania 39ย hairstyle and I had a new and improved long hairstyle forย WrestleMania 40. So it was sort of like a new evolution of Rhea with the old evolution of Rhea. I thought it was really special and I love that visual.”
Ripley is going head-to-head with rival Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship at SummerSlam after spending several months on the shelf from the champion. The two haven’t only been at odds because she wants the gold back, however — Morgan has been trying to win over Dominik Mysterio for quite awhile. While he hasn’t budged, another member of the Judgment Day might pull a swerve instead — Finn Balor. He was pictured picking up Morgan’s hotel room key she left for Mysterio in their lair and his faced was the only one not X’d out when she defaced the Judgment Day.
