WWE Champ Rhea Ripley Reflects On Upcoming Raw Match Against IYO Sky

By Sam Palmer
Rhea Ripley at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event Wwe/Getty Images

At WWE's Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event on March 1, Bianca Belair walked away with her ticket to WrestleMania 41 officially booked as she will challenge for the WWE Women's World Championship. The question of who Belair will face at WWE's biggest event of the year will be decided this week on the March 3 edition of "WWE Raw" as Rhea Ripley defends her title against IYO Sky. Ripley and Sky have a long history together, and Ripley knows the importance of this match, which is why she has taken to X (formerly known as Twitter) to hype herself up for the upcoming bout.

"I wish it didn't have to come to this, especially this way. I respect you. I love you. But, Todays the day I finally beat you, @Iyo_SkyWWE" Ripley said. 

Ripley has never managed to get the better of Sky in her WWE career, with the Japanese star preventing the current WWE Women's World Champion from achieving even more than she already has. The two women first crossed paths in the semi-finals of the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament, which ended in Sky (then known as Io Shirai) picking up the win and advancing to the tournament final at the first Evolution pay-per-view, where she was eventually beaten by Toni Storm.

After both women signed full-time deals with WWE, they would once again cross paths on "WWE NXT." Ripley and Sky wrestled to a no contest on the May 20, 2020 edition of "NXT," before Sky won the NXT Women's Championship in a triple threat match which included Ripely and Charlotte Flair at that year's TakeOver: In Your House. Sky would then successfully defend her title against Ripley on the November 18, 2020 episode of "NXT" in what is the most recent singles match between the two women.

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