Rhea Ripley, following her highly acclaimed triple threat clash with IYO SKY and Bianca Belair in Las Vegas, has named this match as her new favorite WrestleMania moment. Discussing the experience on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Ripley explained how sharing the iconic stage with SKY and Belair during WrestleMania 41 now surpasses even her previous top moment, perfectly capturing why the “Rhea Ripley WrestleMania favorite moment” has evolved for the popular WWE performer.
Reflecting on Past WrestleMania Experiences
Before this year’s WrestleMania, Ripley often pointed to her match at WrestleMania 39 against Charlotte Flair as her most memorable. That contest held special significance since, three years earlier, she faced Flair on a closed set at the WWE Performance Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an event sometimes referred to as “COVID Mania.” The lack of a live audience or family in attendance made it a challenging environment. Reflecting on that experience, Ripley shared how much it meant to finally compete in front of a crowd and loved ones the second time around, where she won the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Flair.
“I always said my match with Charlotte, because it’s everything that I wanted my first Mania to be. Because it ended up being the COVID Mania — I didn’t get my family, I didn’t get the crowd, I didn’t get anything that normally goes into a Mania,”
—Rhea Ripley, WWE Superstar
The Impact of the Triple Threat with SKY and Belair
However, Ripley describes how her battle with IYO SKY and Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 41 has now taken the top spot in her memories. As the opening contest in Las Vegas, the triple threat match drew widespread praise from fans, with energetic chants echoing through the venue and all three competitors rising to the occasion. Each wrestler brought their unique style, further elevating the significance of the showdown for Ripley, SKY, and Belair in front of a lively arena, after years spent together in NXT and on the main roster.
“But now I feel like the match with IYO and Bianca has triumphed that. I am literally so proud of that match. I love those two so much. And going through NXT with them, overcoming things with them, watching them overcome things, and watching them grow as performers. And then me growing as a performer to get to that point where we could go to WrestleMania and have such a stellar match, and have people chanting, ‘This is awesome’ and us being the opener — I couldn’t ask for anything more. I understand I lost, it doesn’t matter at that time. It really didn’t, because that was IYO’s moment, but we all got a moment from it at the same time.”
—Rhea Ripley, WWE Superstar
Results from WrestleMania 41 and Looking Ahead
In this memorable match, IYO SKY pinned Bianca Belair, successfully defending the Women’s World Championship and extending her title reign, which began after defeating Ripley in March. Despite the defeat, Ripley emphasized the pride and unity she felt with her fellow competitors on wrestling’s biggest stage, noting the performance as a turning point in her career journey.
Looking forward, Rhea Ripley is set to step into another major challenge, as she will face Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight at WWE Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia this coming Saturday. The anticipation continues for fans of Ripley, SKY, and Belair, as the Women’s Division builds on the energy of their acclaimed WrestleMania showcase.
Ripley’s new favorite moment at WrestleMania not only highlights her personal and professional growth, but also signals a new era of standout performances from WWE’s top female athletes on the grandest stages.
