Rhea Ripley said that in the days before her main event match at Elimination Chamber, she was getting her “WrestleMania moment before her WrestleMania moment” as she returned to perform in Australia for the first time in seven years.
She came out like a rockstar and, just as her motto goes, “Mami” finished on top.
Ripley defended the RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax on Saturday. It was an early premium live event for those on the East Coast of the United States and even earlier (or later) for those on the West Coast. But it was a perfect time for those in Perth as they got to see Ripley on one of the biggest stages of her career – home.
The crowd was behind Ripley all the way the “Eradicator” came out to the more than 52,000 in attendance at Optus Stadium. But she needed a little more than crowd support to top Jax.
Jax was strong all night. She nailed Ripley with an “Annihilator,” and then when that wasn’t enough, she brought the fight to the outside of the ring. She tried to put Ripley through the announcer table with a fallaway slam, but the table didn’t budge.
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Then, Jax climbed announcer Corey Graves’ chair and hit an elbow drop on Ripley, sending both of them through the table. Ripley may have been done there.
However, the leader of the Judgment Day countered, Jax and got back into a position to win it as the two got back into the ring. Ripley completed a suplex from the middle turnbuckle and then finished Jax off with the Riptide.
Ripley got the 1-2-3 pinfall and retained her title.
Ripley, who has been the women’s champion for nearly one year, will now face off against Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia in April.
Earlier in the event, Lynch topped five other women to win the women’s Elimination Chamber match and earn a shot at either Ripley or Jax.
Two of the top women’s pro wrestlers in the industry will now go head-to-head on the “Grandest Stage of Them All.”
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