Adelaide wrestler Demi Bennett earns WWE contract, to debut as Rhea Ripley in global tournament
EXCLUSIVE: One of Adelaide’s star professional wrestlers is about to make a global impact, debuting for World Wrestling Entertainment in a star-studded international tournament.
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ONE of the stars of Adelaide’s professional wrestling scene is about to make a global impact, performing for the world’s biggest company in a star-studded international tournament.
Demi Bennett, 20, will next month debut for World Wrestling Entertainment under the name “Rhea Ripley” in a 32-women tournament being broadcast to every corner of the globe.
But the Mae Young Classic is only the first step in Bennett’s WWE odyssey.
She is the first South Australian to sign a contract with the $725 million company, which could lead all the way to its top event, WrestleMania.
While that may be in her future, Bennett’s current focus is “showing the world what we’re made of in Australia”.
“Just to get the opportunity is awesome, and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got,” she told The Advertiser.
“Win or lose, either way you’re gonna notice us.”
Wrestling’s mixture of scripted storylines, high athleticism and drama captivated Bennett as a child and, at 15, she joined Riot City Wrestling in Adelaide.
Trained by Chris and Matt Basso, she went on to hold the company’s women’s championship twice – catching the attention of international scouts in the process.
Offered a WWE tryout in 2014, Bennett was too young to work in the US and so instead travelled to Japan to further hone her performance.
WWE invited her to another audition in Melbourne in December and, surrounded by friends and peers, won a shot at her dream.
She is now paid to train, five days a week, at the company’s custom-built 7925sq m Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, improving not only strength and conditioning, but also acting and performance.
“I’m excited to learn more from all the different coaches here,” she said. “SA has a lot of talent, and I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now if it wasn’t for those who came before me.
“I’m proud but I’m also very grateful.”
Chris Basso said Bennett had earned her success “through the hours she put in at the gym to better herself”.
“We’ve seen her grow from a meek teenager into a confident, beautiful powerhouse of a woman ... that’s a testament to her hard work,” he said.
Matt Basso said Bennett had “trained with purpose and soaked up every bit of advice she could” to achieve her “vision of what she wanted”.
“She’s definitely adopted a lot of older brothers and sisters down here ... I think we were almost as happy as she was when we found out that she’d made it in,” he said.
Bennett, as Rhea Ripley, will debut in WWE’s Mae Young Classic on Monday, August 28. Visit wwenetwork.com for details.
