WWE News: Hall Of Famer Boldly Claims That Current ‘NXT’ Star Will Transcend Wrestling
NXT superstar Rhea Ripley is riding high at the moment, having recently won the Women’s Championship, but Mark Henry believes she’s destined to become a breakout superstar whose appeal resonates beyond the core WWE fan base.
As quoted by SEScoops, the Hall of Famer discussed the rising star on a recent Sirius FM broadcast, in which he discussed how she’s already accomplished so much at a young age and will only get bigger.
“At 23-years-old I was I was still [power] lifting. I hadn’t even got into wrestling yet. Yet she’s [Rhea] already been in it, been there, done that…at twenty three years old. What will she do in the next fifteen twenty years? I’m gonna tell you, she’s going to transcend wrestling.”
While expanding on his comment about her transcending sports entertainment, Henry said that Ripley is going to follow other superstars who have enjoyed major success out of WWE.
“She’ll be the next Rock. She will be the next John Cena, she will be able to be the next Batista. She should be able to go outside of wrestling and make a living because she’ll be a big mainstream star.”
It’s clear that WWE has big plans for Ripley, and she is going to be the face of the the black and gold brand moving forward. She was chosen to end Shayna Baszler’s dominance of the NXT women’s division, which is no small feat considering that WWE reportedly has huge plans for the former UFC star on the main roster.
? @QoSBaszler. ? @RheaRipley_WWE. December 18.
Mark your calendars, people. This is gonna be good. #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/wC5BNykaaz
— WWE (@WWE) December 5, 2019
Furthermore, Ripley has already flirted with the main roster talent, having been a part of the NXT invasion during the recent Survivor Series storyline. Ripley was also a part of the NXT women’s team that beat their inter-brand competition at the event. She also entered the 2019 women’s Royal Rumble match back in January, where she eliminated several superstars.
Only time will tell if Ripley reaches the heights that Henry believes she will, but she’s off to a promising start. The 23-year-old has been soaring through the ranks in the company since she made her debut in the 2017 Mae Young Classic tournament, where she made it to the semifinals.
Afterward, she joined the NXT UK roster, where she became the brand’s inaugural Women’s Champion after winning a competitive tournament. Ripley held the title for an impressive 139 days, before dropping the title to Toni Storm at NXT Takeover: Blackpool earlier this year.
The superstar joined the main NXT roster in October, and she’s already captured a title. It’s now only a matter of time until she’s a main roster superstar.
