WINC Watchlist: Rhea Ripley’s Greatest Matches

From being one of the breakout stars of “WWE NXT UK” to becoming the most popular female performer in wrestling today, Rhea Ripley has not only achieved success due to her character work and unique look, but also because of the quality of her in-ring work. From standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Shayna Baszler and Toni Storm on WWE’s developmental brand, to fighting stars such as Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania, Ripley has proven to be one of the company’s most reliable wrestlers throughout the last decade.

Although Ripley has always been one of WWE’s main players in the women’s division, she was truly launched into superstardom both during and after her time with The Judgment Day, with her in-ring talent being consistent whether she was a babyface or a heel. As we continue to honor Women’s History Month, and with Ripley inching closer to a decade with WWE, here is our list for the greatest matches of “The Nightmare’s” career thus far.

After spending most of 2019 wrestling Bianca Belair and getting her first taste of the main roster, Rhea Ripley finished the year by having an opportunity to dethrone Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Title. Coming into the match, Baszler had become the second-longest reigning NXT Women’s Champion, having held the gold for 416 days. However, with “The Queen Of Spades” preparing for a full-time main roster call-up, Ripley was positioned as the star who could finally defeat one of the most dominant competitors “WWE NXT” had ever seen, and did so in one of the best matches of her career.

Witnessing Ripley and Baszler stand face-to-face with each other was always a treat, as the heavy offense in the match was like watching two behemoths collide with each other. Although the various submission holds and multiple Riptides were thrilling enough for a title match, the audience in attendance truly elevated the contest, as they were unglued for almost every near fall. However, seven years later, the final seconds of the match, when Mauro Ranallo’s iconic line of “The tide has turned” after Ripley hit an Avalanche Riptide on Baszler to win, is still one of the best moments in “NXT” history.

Today, the match is still viewed as Ripley’s ascension into a main event star on “NXT,” and she would eventually follow in Baszler’s footsteps when she joined the “WWE Raw” roster a year later.

Just three months after defeating Baszler for the NXT Women’s Championship, Ripley would drop the title to Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36, a move that initially seemed questionable due to the former being positioned as the brand’s top star in the women’s division. That said, the matches that followed made the decision worth it, especially at NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2020.

After an excellent battle at WrestleMania, Flair and Ripley produced just as good as a match at In Your House, but this time with the inclusion of IYO SKY, who went by Io Shirai at the time. All three women utilized the No Disqualification stipulation of a Triple Threat match perfectly, with SKY being tossed into the entrance set, Ripley throwing a plant at Flair, and kendo sticks being involved. However, the most unforgettable spot of the match was SKY jumping off the top of the In Your House stage onto Ripley and Flair, which led to her eventual victory. 

As for Ripley, the match solidified her as a performer who could deliver on a main event stage, but most importantly, proved she could hang with the most protected female WWE star in Flair, as well as one of the best Japanese wrestlers on the planet.

After Ripley fell short to Flair on multiple occasions over the NXT Women’s Championship, they would meet again at WrestleMania three years later, where “The Queen” ultimately passed the torch to the 29-year-old. At this point, Ripley had officially become a member of The Judgment Day, and after she won the 2023 Royal Rumble, she was once again positioned to exercise her demons against Flair. However, unlike their previous match at the “Show of Shows,” their clash at WrestleMania 39 was considered a potential night-one main event. When they were scheduled as the third-to-last match on the card, both women overdelivered.

Outside of the Men’s Intercontinental Championship match, Ripley versus Flair was one of the most physical matches on the WrestleMania 39 card, as both competitors weren’t afraid to incorporate hard-hitting violence into the contest. In addition to the physical nature, the drama was off the charts, with Flair shockingly kicking out of the Riptide, and Ripley surviving a devastating spear from the veteran. Overall, Ripley would once again refer back to the Avalanche Riptide to win the match, but iconically screamed “It’s My Time” in Flair’s face before delivering the move.

If it wasn’t for the amazing story told between Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and The Usos as part of The Bloodline Saga, it’s likely that Ripley and Flair would’ve been the first women since Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks to main event WrestleMania.

After the first night of WrestleMania 41 was poorly received outside of the main event between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk, WWE knew they needed to start night two on the right foot, and there was no better match to deliver on high expectations than the Triple Threat for the Women’s World Championship.

The two months that built up to the match between Ripley, SKY, and Bianca Belair were some of WWE’s best storytelling of last year. After Belair won the Elimination Chamber and punched her ticket to WrestleMania, SKY shockingly defeated Ripley for the Women’s World Championship two nights later on “Raw” after the “EST of WWE” distracted “Mami” at ringside, causing her to lose the title. This led tensions to flare between Ripley and Belair for several weeks, making SKY feel like the third wheel in the feud, despite being the champion. However, that dynamic between all three women was incorporated into their match at WrestleMania, which ultimately led SKY to retain the title amongst Ripley and Belair’s frustrations with each other. 

The match itself is as good as an opener can get for WrestleMania, having been a fast-paced 15-minute contest that has plenty of near falls, endless drama from the first bell, and the best moves from all three women’s arsenals. In addition to being one of the greatest WWE women’s matches of all time, Ripley’s match with SKY and Belair isn’t just a top-five match of her career, but has been viewed as one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history.

Following WrestleMania 41, it was hard to believe that many other matches in the women’s division would be able to rival the quality of the Triple Threat, but Ripley and SKY proved to exceed all expectations at Evolution 2025.

After having feuded for most of the year, Ripley and SKY’s clash at the second-ever all-women’s PLE was their third singles match together in four months. However, this time around, they were given the opportunity to main event, and with both women not wanting to disappoint, they delivered one of the best WWE matches of last year, which was accompanied by a surprise finish that few saw coming. 

By far, Evolution 2025 was the best work that Ripley and SKY had done together on a singles level, as their chemistry is at an all-time high following the countless matchups they competed in against each other beforehand. Where Ripley matched SKY’s technical ability, SKY added more brutality to her skillset in order to keep up with Ripley’s physical strength, resulting in both women being able to predict each other’s offense.

At this point, Ripley and SKY made it clear that they respected each other, a story beat that was tied into the match, but was eventually spoiled by Naomi playing the ultimate villain by cashing in her Money In The Bank contract. Although neither Ripley nor SKY would come out victorious, the 20-minute battle that preceded Naomi’s cash-in is one of “The Eradicator’s” most impressive performances, and she’s continued to be one of WWE’s most reliable workers in the eight months since the match.