Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch: Breaking Down The Future Of Every Potential Outcome
The WrestleMania 40 card is still taking shape, but one thing we know for sure is that Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley are going to square off in the ring in Philadelphia. They will compete for Rhea’s WWE Women’s World Championship. Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch has been a dream match for a while, as we see them today. The idea of “Mami vs The Man” is exciting, as we’re seeing both women potentially at the best they have ever been in their respective WWE careers.
This match has been nearly a year in the making, so we’ll need to take you back to the start of their feud. Then we’ll talk about the possible outcomes and what they could mean for both competitors going forward. Keep in mind that winning this championship match could mean a lot for each woman involved. Yet only one of these women truly needs the win more than the other. We’ll explain that in the article, so let’s get started!
THE EARLY DAYS OF RHEA RIPLEY vs BECKY LYNCH
We shouldn’t forget that while we’ve had a year of slow build to this match, it’s a rivalry that goes back to 2019. That was the very first time these two women faced off. As Becky was “The Man,” she made an appearance on NXT. At that time, it was still pretty rare to see someone as white-hot as Lynch appearing on the third brand. At NXT 500, she and Ripley faced off. However, this match ended in a no-contest thanks to Shayna Baszler and her crew at the time, taking out everyone in their path.
In the end, it would be a very smart booking decision for WWE. They knew they wanted to see Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch in a bigger way at the next level. Making this match into a “no-contest” allowed them to avoid having to refer to a winner or loser the next time they fought. Even the fans are unsure who would win because, well, we never saw a true winner the first time.
Of course, Ripley would go on to capture the NXT Women’s Title in late 2019 and even have a WrestleMania match with Charlotte Flair for that title in 2020. Ripley then hit the main roster, right as Becky had to depart due to becoming pregnant. She returned in 2021 but then went on what was an immediate heel run. This kept Ripley and Lynch apart for a while. Now going by “Big Time Becks,” Lynch and Ripley fought at untelevised house shows. Yet that was the only time they were in the ring together.
This was long before “Mami” became a thing or even before Rhea decided to join Judgment Day.
RIPLEY COMES INTO HER OWN
While Becky was “Big Time,” Ripley was finding her footing. After months of seemingly being lost on the main roster, she joined the Judgement Day, then led by WWE Hall of Famer Edge. There, she went from an interesting addition to the main attraction for that faction. One could point to several factors for why this came to pass. Rhea handled most of the mic work, was the only woman in the group yet managed to still fight with the men, etc.
The relationship on-screen with Dominik Mysterio made her a heat magnet. It helped that Dom then went to prison to become an ex-con, making him a clear “bad boy” who could match the goth energy Ripley displayed. Her constant interference in the men’s matches was fantastic to see. She would taunt the men to hit her knowing they never would. Although, Rey Mysterio did make exceptions sometimes.
This came to a head at a live show where Seth Rollins and Finn Balor fought against each other in a steel cage. Ripley broke into the cage to tip the scales in favor of Balor but Lynch would come out of nowhere to fend off the formidable Ripley. This was in 2022 so we’re still building to that eventual feud. Plus, it made sense for Seth’s real-life wife to come out for the assist in a situation like this over some other random woman.
RHEA RIPLEY vs BECKY LYNCH WILL BE TELEVISED FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019
After years of tussling on house shows, these two are finally coming to blows in front of the world. Ripley told Lynch in no uncertain terms that she wanted her to win the Elimination Chamber match or the Women’s Rumble so she could go head-to-head and beat “The Man.” After all, we all know the notorious quote that Ric Flair made famous years ago. To be “The Man,” you have to beat The Man. For Rhea to prove she is the best women’s wrestler on the planet, she has to defeat Lynch.
Honestly, Lynch is the only woman left to beat for Rhea. She beat Charlotte Flair to win the title she holds. While it was the SmackDown Women’s Title, it would go on to become the Women’s World Championship. Ripley has beaten pretty much anyone else who can call themselves great other than Becky.
Lynch was unsuccessful at winning the Rumble but went bell-to-bell to win the Elimination Chamber in Rhea’s home country of Perth, Australia. She’s earned her title opportunity against Ripley and nicely did it in the place where it would make the most impact. This is one of the showdowns we’ll most look forward to, but what will the outcome be and where will it leave each opponent?
WHAT IF RHEA RIPLEY RETAINS?
This is the most likely outcome to many, and honestly, Ripley should be the heavy favorite going into the match. She’s as hot as ever right now. She’s loved by WWE audiences even when she’s trying to get booed. Rhea is embracing the spotlight and is essentially the leader of the most important faction of the RAW Brand.
Winning makes sense here. If they have her win, then what happens next for Rhea? The guess would be that they would give her an extended run right into the WWE SummerSlam PLE in Cleveland (rumored). The only problem here is that if they do that, then who comes to take down Ripley? Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair are part of the SmackDown Brand. Even though we at WrestlingHub love Tiffany Stratton for this, the same issue hurts her chances too.
That’s never stopped WWE before, but we’re taking their assignments at face value.
Liv Morgan could be an option but one might assume that Ripley and Morgan will immediately go into a rivalry post-WrestleMania, win or lose.
Nia Jax has already lost to Rhea and doesn’t seem like the next big opponent. Raquel Rodriguez, in the opinion of this writer, just seems to have something missing from her presentation. She should make for a quality opponent but always feels slightly less than.
Who do they give Rhea to in a marquee matchup at SummerSlam? It’s one thing to give Rhea the win if this is to set up the next big thing. If no one is in her way, then what do you do with her after the fact? Keep in mind that Ripley will have held the title for more than a year if she retains the title at WrestleMania 40.
WHAT HAPPENS TO BECKY LYNCH IF RHEA RETAINS?
Becky Lynch is a main event star. Of course, she doesn’t have to have any World Championship to be a huge star, but it certainly helps. If Lynch ends up losing, then where does she go from here? The odds are that she just continues to bounce around.
One thing they have shown with Becky Lynch is that they are not afraid of having her take on a rivalry that doesn’t involve a championship. Look no further than what is happening with her and Nia Jax. They’ve given her the opportunity to run with this long-standing feud, and there’s nothing more at stake than pride.
This is a blueprint for what women’s wrestling should be. There are only so many championships to go around. Plus, allowing women to compete for pride, jealousy, or anger are the hallmarks of pro wrestling. Becky should have that ability here and could help out a younger star, like a new girl coming out of NXT. She could also switch brands if by chance a draft takes place again after the show of shows.
The stakes for Becky are less than Rhea because Becky can always find someone to go head-to-head with. She does not necessarily need a championship to hold power or anything of the sort.
WHAT IF BECKY WINS?
While not the most likely scenario, we cannot forget that Becky has a book coming out right around WrestleMania. Presumably, she’ll be doing a lot of press. Having a shiny World Championship to carry around to do that could be nice.
We know that WWE is a business, and having her on mainstream media with the Women’s World Championship over her shoulder or around her waist doesn’t look bad at all. She’s already such a great talker and a charismatic person that the whole package goes together nicely.
What if she beats Rhea? This puts her more firmly in the conversation about the best of all time for women. Charlotte likely occupies that spot for many, but this also gives her a reason to heat up her feud with Charlotte when she comes back. Flair is already in the gym lifting weights roughly 8 weeks after her knee surgery, so we’d expect a Summer return for Flair in terms of official medical clearance.
If not Charlotte, then anyone. The great thing about Lynch is that she’s a beatable champion like her husband Seth Rollins. She can make most women on the roster a credible threat. It might be interesting to see her and Jax with the title on the line. It could also allow Liv Morgan to have a prolonged feud with Lynch and maybe take the championship off her.
The possibilities are endless, and that makes it attractive to WWE Creative. We think writing a story for Lynch is infinitely easier than Rhea. Mostly because she is such a good performer and you always know you can have her lose without being hurt by it. That is hard to say for Ripley.
WHAT HAPPENS TO RHEA IF BECKY WINS?
It should be noted that Rhea has reached a status where, if WWE wants her to go for a title, she just has to show up and say she wants it. That’s all the credibility she needs honestly. However, let’s say she loses at WrestleMania, what’s next?
To us, it all comes down to “how” Rhea loses. If she loses clean, a rematch could take place at the next PLE or WWE can have Ripley feud with someone else for a bit. Again, the Liv Morgan rivalry is right there for WWE to go to. To many, it’s easier to buy Liv beating Ripley without a title on the line anyway.
What if Rhea loses due to the interference of “Dirty” Dom? Well, that opens up a whole new world, Jasmine!
At some point, the members of Judgment Day will go their separate ways. While Rhea is the breakout star, you could argue Dom is a close second. Having this real-life newlywed turn his back on his on-screen GF would be such an interesting way to create division in Judgment Day.
Why would Dom turn on Rhea? Maybe he was jealous of his Mami always being on top, or he did not feel valued. Maybe she didn’t give him enough attention. Perhaps he wanted to prove he was the brains of the operation. This would get Dom Super Saiyan-level hatred while it would turn Ripley babyface immediately.
Plus, we could see Dom vs Rhea in the ring if WWE is willing. Ripley has claimed she’d love to wrestle the guys some, and this is a perfect time to do that. Besides, Dom has made a lot of people look good in the ring before. Fans also could buy that Rhea could beat Dom too.
BECKY LYNCH vs RHEA RIPLEY – THE LIKELY RESULT
The most logical outcome for Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch is that Rhea retains if you’re asking us. While Ripley has beaten a lot of great women, sometimes multiple times and in multi-women matches, this would be her biggest defense to date. Beating a former WrestleMania Main-Eventer is nothing to sneeze at.
If Rhea does lose, it would likely happen clean. A face like Lynch usually wins over a heel like Ripley by winning a match cleanly. As in, she’d win without cheating or taking shortcuts. If Mysterio turns on Rhea, then Mami would have a clear excuse for losing that would sort of taint the win for Becky.
This might be a good thing because it gives the win to Lynch while also giving Ripley a reason for losing that does not hurt her standing in the WWE. Therefore, if we were booking a Rhea loss, we’d go with this option.
In our opinion, Rhea has too much at stake just to get pinned like it’s nothing. It would be better for her to lose by trickery or betrayal. With the betrayal angle being the best option.
While we might be picking Rhea to retain, we cannot count out a loss. However, a Lynch loss at this point in her career will not hurt or tremendously affect her. For Ripley, a loss of any kind could be an issue despite holding onto this title for a year by the time WrestleMania rolls around. Plus, Rhea is roughly as hot as Lynch was when “The Man” gimmick first started.
Winning makes sense for Ripley. However, we do still love the idea of fantasy booking Rhea Ripley vs Dominik Mysterio for the PLE following WrestleMania.
