Rhea Ripley has come a long way since she was a blonde, smiling participant in the Mae Young Classic. Since becoming "Mami," Ripley has found tremendous success in WWE, winning multiple women's championships on the main roster, in "WWE NXT," and the short-lived "NXT UK" promotion, eventually becoming one of the company's top stars. But more importantly, the transformation has made her love herself more.
"Actually I LOVE myself a lot more now," Ripley said on X in response to a fan asserting that her change represented some kind of self-esteem issue. "I HATED and still HATE how I looked in the first pic. So please, and not so kindly ... Go f*** yourself! Project your toxic 'masculinity; and straight up insecurities elsewhere."
Ripley is once again the Women's World Champion, after she defeated Liv Morgan on the first "WWE Raw" of 2025, following a lengthy feud with the former champion. Ripley had been in the midst of a year-long reign with the title when she was injured in 2024, forcing her to relinquish the gold, which eventually ended up in the hands of Liv Morgan. Ripley returned in July, but was betrayed by The Judgment Day, leading to the group siding with Morgan, and keeping the title out of Ripley's grasp for much of the year. Not only did Morgan take Ripley's faction, but also her paramour "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, who has been Liv's partner in and out of the ring, ever since. Ripley has since begun a feud with Nia Jax, who attacked her on a recent "Raw."
