Adelaide’s Rhea Ripley on brink of megastar-making performance at WWE’s Wrestlemania in LA

The powerhouse from the western suburbs is on the brink of an achievement that could cement her place as one of her industry’s all-time greats.

Australia’s greatest ever professional wrestling export could be just days away from cementing her place as one of the industry’s immortals.

Rhea Ripley – otherwise known as Adelaide’s Demi Bennett – is set to be a marquee attraction for one of world’s greatest live spectacles, WWE’s Wrestlemania at Los Angeles’ 70,000+ capacity SoFi Stadium on Sunday, April 2.

The event is watched by millions around the world and a spot on the program is one of the most coveted prizes a professional wrestler can claim.
It will be the fourth time Ripley has been there.

And there are a few people back home in Adelaide she hopes are watching when she grapples with Charlotte Flair – daughter of the legendary Ric Flair – for the WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship (which remains one of the few WWE accolades missing from her resume).

Rhea Ripley points to the Wrestlemania sign after another landmark outing at WWE’s Royal Rumble. Source: WWE

“I hope all my school teachers are watching,” Ripley joked to The Advertiser.

“Some of them just didn’t understand [wanting to be a wrestler].

“I think I had like two or three that were, like, you should do whatever you dream of. Whatever you desire, follow it. You can do it.

“But then a lot of them were like, you know, maybe you should work at a bank.”

It has been a long but steady climb for the former Henley Beach Primary and Henley High student since starting out at Adelaide’s Riot City Wrestling in 2012.

After wrestling for a series of promotions in Australia and overseas, her career soared when she was recruited into WWE’s developmental program in 2017.

Now globally renowned for her skill, imposing physical presence and enormous strength, Ripley said it was still hard to believe her childhood dream had come true.

“From that to now, and this being my fourth Wrestlemania … insanity,” she said.

Ripley shows off the WWE Raw Women’s title in a previous run with one of the company; s top accolades. Source: WWE

She predicts her legion of fans will be seeing yet another famous achievement on Sunday when she confirms her place as one of the biggest professional wrestling stars in the world.

“You can’t run from Rhea bloody Ripley, she said.

But Ripley will not be the only South Aussie wrestling giant in LA for the multibillion-dollar entertainment giant’s show of shows.

Fellow Adelaide export Bronson Reed – also known as Jermaine Haley – says he will be there for Wrestlemania weekend, although he couldn’t say what for.

“But the way this business moves things are changing on a weekly basis so I hope I can be a part of Wrestlemania in some capacity … but if not definitely at the Monday Night Raw in LA that same weekend.

Bronson Reed takes to the air from the top rope. Source: WWE

Bronson Reed in February in WWE’s imposing “Elimination Chamber”. Source: WWE

He said he expected to see Ripley stake her claim as a bona fide legend of the business.

“I think she’s got it in the bag,” Reed said.

“Last time (with Flair) she was still fresh to the game. I think she was a little nervous going into Wrestlemania facing someone the likes of Charlotte, whereas now in these last few years she’s really come into her own.

“I really think the world of Rhea Ripley and she’s going to be the face of the women’s division in WWE for sure for at least the next four, five years.”

The trip to Hollywood follows Reed’s triumphant return to WWE late last year after being released by the organisation as the Covid pandemic bit, before competing at rival US promotion Impact and another of the world’s biggest promotions, New Japan Pro Wrestling.

He narrowly missed out on being crowned WWE’s US Champion at its trademark “Elimination Chamber” event in February, and previously became the first Australian and first non-American to hold WWE’s NXT North American title.

WrestleMania 39 streams live to Australia on Sunday 2nd & Monday 3rd April on BINGE.