Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

. As of July 2017, she is signed to

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

, where she performs on the Raw

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

Rhea Ripley. She is a two-time Women's World Champion. Her first reign with the title at 380 days is tied with Bayley as the longest in the title's history. After competing on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...

under her real name since 2013, Ripley joined WWE and participated in the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017. After reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 edition of the tournament, she was part of the original roster of

NXT UK ''NXT UK'' was a professional wrestling television programme that was produced exclusively in the United Kingdom by the American promotion WWE. It aired on BT Sport and 5Action (previously known as Paramount Network). In the United States, the ...

, becoming the inaugural

NXT UK Women's Champion The NXT UK Women's Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship that was created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It was defended on the NXT UK brand division, a sister brand of WWE's developmental territory NXT bas ...

in August 2018. After a run on the NXT brand from 2019 to 2021, which saw her win the

NXT Women's Championship The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT, the promotion's developmental brand. The current champion is Jacy Jayne, who is in her fi ...

and become the brand's first member to defend an NXT title at WrestleMania, WWE's flagship event, she was promoted to the main roster on Raw where she joined

The Judgment Day The Judgment Day is a Heel (professional wrestling), villainous professional wrestling Stable (professional wrestling), stable performing in WWE on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand. The group is composed of Finn Bálor, Domini ...

in 2022. In addition to the NXT UK Women's Championship and NXT Women's Championship, she is a former one-time

Raw Women's Champion The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defe ...

and a former one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion (with Nikki A.S.H.). After winning the SmackDown Women's Championship in April 2023—which was renamed as Women's World Championship that June—she became the seventh WWE Women's Triple Crown Champion and fifth WWE Women's Grand Slam Champion, as well as the only wrestler to have held all five of these titles. She is also the first female Australian champion in WWE history. Ripley was the 2023 Women's Royal Rumble winner, becoming the fourth wrestler and the first woman to win a

Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...

as the number one entrant.

Early life

Demi Bennett was born on 11 October 1996 in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, South Australia. She is of Italian descent through her mother's side. Bennett grew up in the beachside Adelaide suburb of Glenelg and attended Henley High School throughout her teenage years.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (2013–2017)

Bennett began to work in

Riot City Wrestling Riot City Wrestling (RCW) is an Australian independent professional wrestling promotion founded in January 2006 in Adelaide, South Australia. It runs shows independently, in conjunction with local festivals, as well as with other organizations ...

in 2013. She spent several years in the promotion, where she became a two-time RCW Women's Champion. Bennett made her New Horizon Pro Wrestling debut on 24 May 2014 during the opening night of the NHPW Global Conflict where she joined the Global Conflict Tournament. She was eliminated during the first round of the tournament by

Mercedes Martinez Jazmin Benitez (born November 17, 1980) is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Mercedes Martinez. She also appears for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH), where she is a former ROH W ...

. She returned for the second night of the NHPW Global Conflict event, competing in a four-way mixed tag team match paired with Garry Schmidt. Six months later, Bennett was part of the opening night of the NHPW Final Chapter event, wrestling a four-way match against

Madison Eagles Alexandra Ford (born 5 June 1984) is an Australian professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Madison Eagles. She has wrestled internationally in Australia, the United States, Canada and Japan, and is a former two-time Shimmer Champi ...

, Evie and Saraya Knight for the vacant IndyGurlz Australia Championship, but was unsuccessful. Bennett made her

Melbourne City Wrestling Melbourne City Wrestling is an Australian independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 2010, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Melbourne City Wrestling currently has two major venues that they use. MCW hosts monthly events at the ...

debut on 14 June 2014 at MCW New Horizons where she defended the RCW Women's Championship in a three-way match against Savannah Summers and

Toni Storm Toni Rossall (born 19 October 1995), better known by the ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the epithet "Timeless" Toni Storm and is the reigning AEW Women' ...

. On 9 August at MCW Clash Of The Titans, Bennett defeated Miami to retain her championship. On 22 April 2017, Bennett wrestled her last RCW match at RCW Strength where she successfully defended the title against Kellyanne.

WWE

Mae Young Classic (2017–2018)

In 2017, Bennett signed with WWE, and it was announced that she would compete in the inaugural Mae Young Classic under the new name "Rhea Ripley". She defeated Miranda Salinas in the first round but lost to

Dakota Kai Cheree Georgina "Charlie" Crowley (born 6 May 1988) is a New Zealand professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in the WWE, where she performed under the ring name Dakota Kai. Prior to her signing with WWE, Crowley performed under t ...

in the second round. Ripley made her NXT television debut on 25 October 2017 episode of '' NXT'', participating in a battle royal to determine one of the contenders for the vacant

at TakeOver: WarGames on 18 November, which was won by

Nikki Cross Nicola Glencross (born 21 April 1989) is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Nikki Cross and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. In WWE, ...

. Sporting a new look, Ripley competed in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, displaying a new aggressive and disrespectful attitude. She defeated MJ Jenkins,

Kacy Catanzaro Kacy Esther Catanzaro (born January 14, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and a former gymnast and obstacle racer. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Katana Chance. Alongside Kayden Carter, ...

, and

Tegan Nox Steffanie Newell (born 15 November 1994) is a Welsh professional wrestler. She performs on the independent circuit under the ring name Nixon Newell. She is best known for her tenures in the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, where s ...

in her first three matches but lost to

Io Shirai is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name (stylized in all caps) and is the current Women's World Championship (WWE), Women’s Wo ...

in the semi-finals.

Inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion (2018–2019)

Shortly after the 2018 Mae Young Classic, Ripley became part of the

as part of the premiere of the newly created ''

'' show. During the television tapings of the show in August (that aired throughout November), Ripley took part in an eight-woman tournament to determine the inaugural

. She defeated

Xia Brookside Xia-Louise Brooks (born 16 October 1998), better known by the ring name Xia Brookside, is an English professional wrestler and valet. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She previously worked for World Wonder Ring Stardom, wh ...

in the first round,

in the semi-finals, and

in the finals to become the inaugural champion. With the win, Ripley became the first female Australian champion in WWE history and the second Australian champion after

Buddy Murphy Matthew Adams (born 26 September 1988) is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Buddy Matthews and is a member of the stable Hounds of Hell. He is a former one-time AEW World Trios C ...

. Ripley also competed in a

dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that o ...

before the first ever all women's pay–per–view,

Evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

, on 28 October, where she successfully defended her title against Kai (due to the tournament having yet to air at the time, she was not yet recognized on-screen as champion). Throughout her reign, Ripley went on to fend off title contenders such as

Isla Dawn Courtney Stewart (born 2 February 1994) is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Isla Dawn. She was one-half of The Unholy Union with Alba Fyre, with whom she was a one ...

and

Deonna Purrazzo Deonna Lynn Purrazzo (born June 10, 1994) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Purrazzo began training in December 2012, and then started wrestling in various independent promotions the following y ...

. On 12 January 2019 at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool, Ripley lost the title to Storm, ending her reign at 139 days and marking her first defeat in the brand. At

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...

on 27 January, Ripley made her first appearance on a main roster pay-per-view by entering the women's

at number 24, eliminating Kacy Catanzaro, Dana Brooke, and

Zelina Vega Thea Megan Trinidad Büdgen (born December 27, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Zelina Vega and is the current Women's United States Champion in he ...

before being eliminated by Bayley. Afterwards, Ripley feuded with the debuting Piper Niven for the remainder of the year over which one was the most dominant woman in the NXT UK roster. The two traded victories with each other before teaming up after Ripley saved Niven from an attack by Jazzy Gabert and Jinny, whom they defeated in a tag team match on 4 October. Ripley wrestled her last match in the brand on 5 October 2019 tapings of ''NXT UK'', defeating Nina Samuels.

NXT Women's Champion (2019–2021)

On 28 August 2019 episode of ''NXT'', Ripley made her surprise return to the brand when she interrupted

NXT Women's Champion The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT (WWE brand), NXT, th ...

Shayna Baszler Shayna Andrea Baszler ( ; born August 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and a former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she became a former List of NXT Women's Champions, two-time and lon ...

, stating that Baszler may have beaten everyone on NXT, but not her, turning

face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...

and beginning a feud between the two in the process. In parallel to her feud against Baszler, on 1 November episode of '' SmackDown'', Ripley and

were one of the many ''NXT'' wrestlers to invade the show, challenging

Mandy Rose Amanda Rose Saccomanno (born July 18, 1990) is an American professional wrestler, television personality, and fitness and figure competitor. She is best known for her career in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Mandy Rose, and was ...

and Sonya Deville to a tag team match which Ripley and Nox won. Later that night, Ripley joined

Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer. Levesque began his wres ...

and the rest of the ''NXT'' roster as they declared war on both Raw and SmackDown, and vowed to win the 2019 Survivor Series brand warfare. As part of the ongoing storyline, she defeated both Raw's

Charlotte Flair Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr (born April 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Charlotte Flair. Flair is a second-generation professional wrestler, being t ...

and SmackDown's

Sasha Banks Sacha, Sasha, or Sascha may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sacha (singer), born Sacha Visagie, Canadian singer and songwriter * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alex ...

in a

triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...

on 22 November episode of ''SmackDown''. At TakeOver: WarGames on 23 November, Ripley led Team Ripley in the first ever women's

WarGames match WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...

against Team Baszler (Baszler,

Bianca Belair Bianca Nicole Crawford (née Blair; born April 9, 1989) is an American professional wrestler and fitness and figure competitor. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under t ...

, and

Kay Lee Ray); despite teammate

turning heel and attacking Nox before the two entered the match, leaving Ripley and Candice LeRae in a '' de facto'' two-on-four

handicap match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...

, Ripley gave her team the victory by pinning Baszler. The following night at Survivor Series, Ripley was part of Team NXT, who defeated Team Raw and Team SmackDown, and the leader of her team in the 5-on-5-on-5 women's

elimination match Much like the Singles match (professional wrestling), singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, Hardcore wrestling, ha ...

, which her team won after she last eliminated SmackDown captain Sasha Banks, with she, LeRae and Shirai as the survivors. On 18 December episode of ''NXT'', Ripley defeated Baszler to win the

, making her the first person to have won both the NXT Women's and NXT UK Women's Championships. She then successfully defended the title against

on 25 January 2020 at Worlds Collide. Ripley appeared on 3 February 2020 episode of '' Raw'', confronting

winner

and suggesting that Flair should use her Royal Rumble title opportunity to challenge Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at

WrestleMania 36 WrestleMania 36 was a 2020 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 36th annual WrestleMania and was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions, the ...

. Flair appeared on the following episode of ''NXT'' to give her answer, but was interrupted by both Bianca Belair and Ripley, with the two attacking Flair. At TakeOver: Portland on 16 February, Ripley successfully defended the title against Belair; after the match she was attacked by Flair, who accepted Ripley's challenge. Ripley lost the title to Flair on Night 2 of WrestleMania 36 on 5 April, after which she took a hiatus from WWE and returned to Australia due to her visa issues. Ripley returned on 6 May episode of ''NXT'', attacking Flair after she got herself disqualified in an NXT Women's Championship match against Shirai. On 7 June at TakeOver: In Your House, Ripley and Flair both lost to Shirai in a triple threat match for the NXT Women's Championship. Ripley also failed to win the title from Shirai on 18 November episode of ''NXT''. On 6 December at NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ripley was a part of

Shotzi Blackheart Ashley Louise Alfaro (née Urbanski; born March 14, 1992), better known by the ring name Shotzi Blackheart, is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Shotzi and is a fo ...

's team alongside Shirai and

Ember Moon Adrienne Palmer (née Reese; born August 31, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Athena. She primarily appears in AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where she is the ...

for the second ever women's WarGames match, but they lost to LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel González and Toni Storm. At New Year's Evil on 6 January 2021, Ripley lost to González in a

Last Woman Standing match A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...

, which was her final match in NXT. On 31 January, at

, Ripley entered the titular match at number 14 and scored 7 eliminations but was the last competitor eliminated by eventual winner

Raw Women's Champion (2021–2022)

On 22 February episode of ''Raw'', a video package aired hyping up Ripley's arrival to the brand. Ripley made her main roster debut on 22 March episode of ''Raw'', challenging Asuka for the

Raw Women's Championship The WWE Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, a ...

WrestleMania 37 WrestleMania 37 was a 2021 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 37th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, 2021, at Raymond ...

. At Night 2 of WrestleMania 37 on 11 April, Ripley defeated Asuka to win the title. On the following episode of ''Raw'', Ripley defended the title in a rematch against Asuka, which ended in a no-contest after interference from Charlotte Flair, who attacked both Asuka and Ripley. On 3 May episode of ''Raw'', a rematch between Ripley and Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship was scheduled for WrestleMania Backlash on 16 May, but WWE official Sonya Deville added Flair to the match to make it a triple threat match; Ripley retained the title by pinning Asuka. At

Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a four-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link f ...

on 20 June, Flair defeated Ripley by disqualification, thus Ripley retained her title. At Money in the Bank on 18 July, Ripley dropped the title to Flair, ending her reign at 98 days. She failed to regain the title in a triple threat match against the champion Nikki A. S. H. and Flair at

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...

on 21 August. On 20 September episode of ''Raw'', Ripley and A. S. H. defeated Natalya and Tamina to win the

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling Women's Tag Team Championship, women's tag team Professional wrestling, championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is th ...

. They successfully defended the titles in a rematch on 4 October episode of ''Raw'' before losing them to Carmella and Queen Zelina on 22 November episode of ''Raw'', ending their reign at 63 days. Their partnership ended on 10 January 2022 episode of ''Raw'' when A. S. H. attacked Ripley. At

on 29 January, Ripley entered at number 16, eliminating Zelina, Carmella, and

Ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...

before being eliminated by Flair. She then competed in the women's

Elimination Chamber match Elimination may refer to: Science and medicine * Elimination reaction, an organic reaction in which two functional groups split to form an organic product *Bodily waste elimination, discharging feces, urine, or foreign substances from the body ...

at the titular event on 19 February, eliminating A. S. H. before being eliminated by Belair. In March, Ripley began teaming with Liv Morgan, challenging for the titles in a fatal four-way tag team match on Night 2 of

WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was a 2022 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 38th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturda ...

on 3 April in a losing effort. After failing to win the titles from new champions

and

Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (born 1977 ...

on 18 April episode of ''Raw'', Ripley attacked Morgan, ending their partnership and turning

heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...

for the first time on the main roster.

The Judgment Day and Grand Slam Champion (2022–2024)

At WrestleMania Backlash on 8 May, Ripley cost

AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...

his match against

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...

and was revealed as a member of

. At

on 5 June, The Judgment Day (Edge,

Damian Priest Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Damian Priest and is a former one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He is also know ...

, and Ripley) defeated Styles,

Finn Bálor Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. As of May 2014, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (). He is a member of The Judgment Day stable. Devitt began his car ...

, and Liv Morgan in a six-person mixed tag team match. The next night on ''Raw'', Edge introduced Bálor as the newest member of The Judgment Day; Bálor, Priest, and Ripley suddenly attacked Edge, kicking him out of the stable. Later that night, Ripley won a fatal four-way match to become the number one contender for

's Raw Women's Championship at Money in the Bank on 2 July. However, she was pulled out of the match after being not medically cleared to compete and was replaced by Carmella. The stable feuded with the Mysterios ( Rey and

Dominik Dominic, Dominik or Dominick is a male given name common among Roman Catholics and other Latin-Romans. Originally from the late Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or "of the Master". The most promi ...

) in an attempt to recruit Dominik into their ranks. After Dominik turned heel at Clash at the Castle on 3 September by attacking Edge and Rey, joining The Judgment Day, he took on a gimmick mirroring

Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling ...

's Latino Heat while together with Ripley, with Ripley calling herself Dominik's "Mami". On 8 October, at Extreme Rules, Dominik, Priest, and Ripley helped Bálor defeat Edge in an "I Quit" match. After the match, Ripley attacked Edge's wife,

Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), better known as Beth Phoenix, is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's ...

, with a con-chair-to. During the stable's feud with

The O.C. ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on Fox in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, with a total of four seasons consisting of 92 episodes. The serie ...

(Styles,

Luke Gallows Andrew William Hankinson (born December 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) under the ring name Doc Gallows. He is best known for his three tenures in WWE, where he performed under ...

, and

Karl Anderson Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980) known by the ring name Karl Anderson , is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is primarily performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known for his time in WWE. Ander ...

), The O.C. introduced the returning

Mia Yim Stephanie Hym Lee (née Bell; born April 16, 1989), better known by the ring name Mia Yim, is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Michin ( , ). Bell is also kno ...

as their solution to counter Ripley. Ripley would temporarily ally herself with Damage CTRL in the leadup to

Survivor Series WarGames Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, ...

on 26 November after Yim had joined the opposing team, but Ripley's team lost to Yim's team in a WarGames match after

Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987), better known by the ring name Becky Lynch, is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand and is the current WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion in her ...

pinned

. On the following episode of ''Raw'', The Judgment Day defeated The O.C. in an eight-person mixed tag team match, ending their feud. At the

on 28 January 2023, Ripley appeared at ringside during the men's

to assist her stablemates in their attack on Edge, only to be speared by Phoenix. Later that night, Ripley won the women's Royal Rumble match as the first entrant by last eliminating Liv Morgan, who entered the match at number 2. With this victory, Ripley became the fourth wrestler (after

Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...

in 1995,

Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit ( ; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career, but is notorious for Chris Benoit double-murd ...

in 2004, and Edge in 2021) and the first woman to win the Royal Rumble as the first entrant. She also spent the longest time in a women's Royal Rumble match at 1:01:08; Morgan was officially recorded as lasting one second less. On the following episode of ''Raw'', Ripley declared that she would challenge

for the

SmackDown Women's Championship The Women's World Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the Raw brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main roster, along ...

WrestleMania 39 WrestleMania 39, also promoted as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, was a 2023 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 39th annual WrestleM ...

. On Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 on 1 April, Ripley defeated Flair to win the title in a critically acclaimed match. With this win, Ripley became the seventh Women's Triple Crown champion, the fifth Women's Grand Slam champion, and the youngest grand slam champion (male or female) in WWE history at 26. At

Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), a comic book character from ...

on 6 May, Ripley successfully defended the SmackDown Women's Championship in her first title defense against

. At

Night of Champions WWE Night of Champions is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The inaugural event took pl ...

on 27 May, Ripley retained the title against Natalya in a

squash match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that o ...

that lasted 70 seconds. On 12 June episode of ''Raw'', the SmackDown Women's Championship was renamed to the Women's World Championship and Ripley was presented a brand-new championship belt. On 3 July episode of ''Raw,'' Ripley defeated Natalya once again to retain the title. At Payback on 2 September, Ripley helped Bálor and Priest win the

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship The American professional wrestling promotion WWE has maintained several men's and women's tag team championships (except for a two-year interim between 1967 and 1969) since Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) seceded from the National Wrestling ...

after spearing

Kevin Owens Kevin Yanick Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. As of April 2025, he is on hiatus due to a neck injury. Steen began his ...

through the barricade. Later that night, Ripley retained her title against Raquel Rodriguez after a distraction from Dominik. On 11 September episode of ''Raw,'' Ripley defeated Rodriguez in a rematch to retain the title after interference from the returning

Nia Jax Savelina Fanene (born May 29, 1984) is an Australian American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Nia Jax ( ). Fanene signed to WWE in early 2014 and was first assigned to th ...

, who attacked Ripley after the match. At Crown Jewel on 4 November, Ripley defeated Jax, Rodriguez, Zoey Stark and

, who Ripley pinned, to retain her title in a

fatal five-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...

. At

on 25 November, Ripley defeated Stark to retain her title. At Day 1 on 1 January 2024, Ripley defeated Ivy Nile to retain the title. On 24 February, at Elimination Chamber: Perth in her home country of Australia, Ripley successfully defended her title against Jax in the main event. On Night 1 of

WrestleMania XL WrestleMania XL was a 2024 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 40th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturd ...

on 6 April, Ripley defeated Becky Lynch to retain the title.

Feud with Liv Morgan and Judgment Day's betrayal (2024–2025)

On 8 April episode of ''Raw'', Ripley was attacked in a backstage segment by Liv Morgan, during which Ripley legitimately injured her right arm and was forced to vacate the championship the following week, ending her reign at 380 days, tying Bayley's record as the longest-reigning Women's World Champion. During Ripley's absence, the storyline continued when Morgan began seducing Dominik, who resisted Morgan's efforts, but accidentally helped her win the Women's World Championship from Lynch at King and Queen of the Ring. Morgan also began interfering in The Judgment Day's matches to their advantage. After a three-month hiatus, Ripley returned on 8 July episode of ''Raw,'' confronting Morgan and Dominik.At

on 3 August, Ripley was unsuccessful in regaining the title from Morgan after interference from Dominik, giving Ripley her first pinfall loss since May 2022. After the match, Dominik turned on Ripley and kissed Morgan, ending their partnership and fully turning Ripley

for the first time since April 2022. On the following episode of ''Raw'', Bálor officially kicked Priest and Ripley out of the group, and followed up with the introduction of the "new" Judgment Day, consisting of himself, Dominik,

JD McDonagh Jordan Devlin (born 15 March 1990) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name JD McDonagh and is a member of The Judgment Day. In WWE, he is a World Tag Team Champion and N ...

, and the new additions of both Carlito (who became an associate member of the group during Ripley's hiatus now an official member) and Morgan. Later that night, during Priest's match against McDonagh, he was ambushed by Bálor and the rest of The Judgment Day, until Ripley came out to save him. Priest and Ripley would afterwards embrace each other, staying together as a team and going by their unofficial tag team name, The Terror Twins. At Bash in Berlin on 31 August, Ripley and Priest defeated Mysterio and Morgan despite interference from The Judgment Day, with Ripley pinning Morgan. At Bad Blood on 5 October, Ripley defeated Morgan by disqualification after being attacked by the returning Raquel Rodriguez. However, since championships do not change hands via disqualification or countout unless otherwise stipulated, Morgan remained champion. On 29 October episode of ''NXT'', Ripley was attacked by Morgan and Rodriguez in the

WWE Performance Center WWE Performance Center (WWE PC) is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by American company WWE. They serve as tryout and training facilities for WWE, and also contain sports science and medical facilities as well as live events and ...

parking lot. This was reportedly done to write her off television due to a legitimate orbital bone injury suffered the previous week; the injury was announced by WWE the next day and attributed in storyline to the attack. On 18 November episode of ''Raw'', Ripley made a surprise return wearing a protective face shield, challenging the opposition to a

WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American techno-thriller film directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. Broderick plays David Lightman, a ...

match. At

on 30 November, Ripley, Bianca Belair, Bayley,

Iyo Sky is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name (stylized in all caps) and is the current Women’s World Champion in her first reign. She is also a former two-time WWE W ...

and

defeated Morgan, Rodriguez, Nia Jax,

Tiffany Stratton Jessica Lynn Woynilko (born May 1, 1999) is an American professional wrestler and former gymnast. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Tiffany Stratton and is the current WWE Women's Champion in he ...

and Candice LeRae in a WarGames match, with Ripley pinning Morgan.

Women's World Champion and various feuds (2025–present)

At the ''Raw'' premiere on Netflix on 6 January 2025, Ripley defeated Morgan to win the Women's World Championship for the second time despite interference from Dominik and Rodriguez, ending their feud. At

Saturday Night's Main Event ''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is a series of American professional wrestling television specials produced by WWE (originally the World Wrestling Federation or WWF). It was originally broadcast by NBC from 1985 to 1991, replacing ''Saturday ...

on 25 January, Ripley defeated Jax to retain the title. On 3 March episode of ''Raw'', Ripley lost the title to Sky after being distracted by the Elimination Chamber match winner Belair, ending her second reign at 56 days. On March 31 episode of ''Raw'', Ripley unsuccessfully challenged Sky for the title in a rematch with Belair as the special guest referee, but the match ended in a double disqualification. On Night 2 of

WrestleMania 41 WrestleMania 41, also promoted as WrestleMania Vegas, was a 2025 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 41st annual WrestleMania and to ...

, Ripley failed to regain the title from Sky in a critically acclaimed

also involving Belair, whom Sky pinned.

Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist, author, and historian who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter' ...

of the ''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...

'' rated the match five stars, making it the first women’s match in WWE history to receive such a rating. On the 19 May episode of ''Raw'', Ripley defeated

Kairi Sane is a Japanese professional wrestler and actress. she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name . From 2012 to 2017, she wrestled for the Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom under the ring name . E ...

and Zoey Stark in a triple threat match to qualify for the women’s

Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...

at the namesake event, which was won by

Other media

Bennett made her

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

debut as a playable character in ''

WWE 2K20 ''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment of the ...

'' and subsequently in '' WWE 2K Battlegrounds'', ''

WWE 2K22 ''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the eighth game under the ''WWE 2K'' banner, a ...

'' and '' WWE 2K23''. Bennett is the cover star for the deluxe edition of '' WWE 2K24'' alongside

, where they were the first female WWE Superstars to have their own ''

WWE 2K ''WWE 2K'', formerly released as ''WWF SmackDown!'', ''WWE SmackDown!'', ''WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw'', ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw'', ''WWE'', and ''Exciting Pro Wrestling'' in Japan, is a series of professional wrestling sports simulation video game ...

'' cover. Bennett also appears in '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III'' as an unlockable operator within the Season 5 battle pass, part of a larger WWE promotion in the game.

Personal life

Bennett cites watching

The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...

as an inspiration growing up. In addition to wrestling, Bennett is also trained in or practices

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

, and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

. She is a supporter of the

Adelaide Football Club The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed the Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia that was founded in 1990. The Crows have fielded a men's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) since 199 ...

. As of 2022, she has been in a relationship with fellow Australian wrestler Matthew Adams, known professionally as

Buddy Matthews Matthew Adams (born 26 September 1988) is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Buddy Matthews and is a member of the stable Hounds of Hell. He is a former one-time AEW World Trios Cha ...

. In August 2023, Bennett and Adams got engaged, and in June 2024, they married. Bennett is a fan of the bands

Ice Nine Kills Ice Nine Kills is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspired lyrics, Ice Nine Kills formed in its earliest incarnation in 2000 by high school friends Spenc ...

Falling in Reverse Falling in Reverse is an American rock music, rock band that formed in 2008 by lead vocalist Ronnie Radke. The band's original name was From Behind These Walls, but it was renamed Falling in Reverse shortly after formation. They are currently s ...

and Motionless in White, the latter of which co-wrote her WWE theme song "Demon In Your Dreams" and performed the song live for Bennett's entrance at

Filmography

Championships and accomplishments

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...

**Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year (2019) *

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

**Female Wrestler of the Year (2023) **Ranked No. 2 of the 30 best Pro Wrestlers Under 30 in 2023 *''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

'' **Faction of the Year (2023) *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' ** Faction of the Year (2023) ** Match of the Year (2023) **

Woman of the Year ''Woman of the Year'' is a 1942 American romantic comedy drama film directed by George Stevens and starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. The film was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Michael Kanin (with uncredited work on the rewritte ...

(2023) **Ranked No. 11 of the top 100 female wrestlers in the '' PWI Women's 100'' in 2020 **Ranked No. 1 of the top 250 female wrestlers in the '' PWI Women's 250'' in 2023 **Ranked No. 3 of the top 250 female wrestlers in the ''PWI Women's 250'' in 2024 *

** RCW Women's Championship (2 times) *

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

**Ranked No. 7 of the top 10 women's wrestlers in 2019. **Ranked No. 2 of the top 10 wrestlers of 2023 *''

'' ** Women's Wrestling MVP (2023) *

** WWE Raw Women's Championship ( 1 time) **

Women's World Championship The Women's World Championship was the first Women's professional wrestling world championship in the world. History Cora Livingston defeated Hazel Parker in 1906. Though the contest was for the Featherweight Championship, from that point she ...

(

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) **

( 1 time) – with Nikki A.S.H. **

( 1 time) ** NXT UK Women's Championship ( 1 time, inaugural) ** Women's Royal Rumble (

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

) ** NXT UK Women's Championship Tournament (2018) ** Seventh Women's Triple Crown Champion ** Fifth Women's Grand Slam Champion **

Slammy Award The Slammy Awards, also known as the Slammys, is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced i ...

(3 times) ***Match of the Year (

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

) – ***Faction of the Year (

) – as a member of

***Female Superstar of the Year (

) *

Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame The Women's Wrestling Hall of Fame (WWHOF) is a hall of fame which honors women who have performed in both women's professional wrestling and women's amateur wrestling as well as other forms of grappling. History The Hall of Fame was founded ...

** WWHOF Award (1 time) *** Pro Wrestler of the Year (2025) - shared with

Thunder Rosa Melissa Cervantes (born July 22, 1986), known by her ring name Thunder Rosa, is a Mexican professional wrestler and Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former AEW Women's World Cham ...

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ripley, Rhea 1996 births 21st-century female professional wrestlers Living people Australian people of Italian descent Australian female professional wrestlers Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate professional wrestlers NXT UK Women's Champions NXT Women's Champions WWE Women's Champions WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Women's World Champions (WWE) WWE Grand Slam champions Royal Rumble match winners Martial artists from Adelaide Sportswomen from South Australia