Shawn Michaels discusses the comparisons between Rhea Ripley and Chyna.
Rhea Ripley is often linked to Chyna, given her imposing stature and the way she mixes it up with the men on a regular basis. “The Ninth Wonder of the World” was a trailblazer in that regard, as she broke the mold of what fans had come to expect from women’s wrestlers.
Shawn Michaels was asked if he sees similarities between Rhea Ripley and Chyna during an interview with Riju Dasgupta for Sportskeeda.
Michaels knows Chyna was unique and changed wrestling, noting he would always be biased toward her. The WWE Hall of Famer then praised Ripley and stated that he knew she was special from the start.
“Chyna was one of the rare and unique people,” Michaels said. “I think she changed the face of women’s wrestling in a big way. I think she was just unlike any others before her. But look, Rhea is absolutely one of my favorites. I knew it from the day I walked into NXT that you could see that she was something special. I wanted to do everything that I could to be a part of her career.”
Not Suprised One Bit
Michaels went on to highlight Rhea Ripley’s growth, and he made it clear that her success has not surprised him. He noted that she will likely surpass Chyna’s accomplishments, but that wouldn’t take away from the latter’s legacy.
“When she started out with us in NXT, man, I’m just telling you, you could see her grow. You could see her confidence grow, watch her evolve and just turn into a fantastic performer. Then she came over here to NXT and continued that ascension,” Michaels said. “I’m not surprised one bit at her success on the main roster, and she’s still so very young.
“She’s gonna surpass certainly, again respectfully, anything that Chyna accomplished. But I don’t think that will ever take away from what Joanie contributed to the WWE and this sport in general.”
Ripley previously stated that she would like to compete for a men’s title in WWE. Check out her comments here.
Click here to see what Rhea Ripley had to say about The Judgment Day and her hopes for the group.
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