At the conclusion of WWE RAW on Monday night, Rhea Ripley was struck by Asuka’s poison mist attack, marking a notable moment intended to highlight Asuka’s heel turn. However, what drew significant attention was Ripley’s appearance after the attack, as the blue mist covering her upper body made her resemble a character from the Smurfs franchise. This incident quickly went viral under the term “Rhea Ripley Smurf Attack.”
The Mist Incident and Its Aftermath on WWE RAW
During the main event on RAW, Ripley secured a victory against Asuka before the latter reacted by spraying a blue mist in Ripley’s face. Following the misting, Asuka struck Ripley and IYO SKY, emphasizing her villainous shift. The final image of the segment showed Ripley smeared from head to waist in blue, sparking a wave of fan reactions comparing her to a Smurf character.
Aside from comparisons to the Smurfs, some viewers noted that Ripley’s blue look could also resemble a Na’vi from Avatar, though the majority of fans leaned into the Smurf association, sharing jokes and playful comments online throughout the day.
Fan Reactions Highlight the Smurf Comparison
Social media buzz quickly centered on the comedic visual of Ripley’s blue tint. One fan exclaimed,
“BROOO RHEA RIPLEY TURNED INTO A SMURF LMAOOOO,”
capturing the lighthearted tone of many comments. Another user asked,
“Asuka really turned rhea into a smurf? at least she won the match rightt?”
reflecting both the humor and the wrestling outcome.
The portrayal of Ripley as an enormous Smurf was emphasized by her stature relative to the mist coverage, with Twitter user @_E5150 commenting, “Rhea’s the tallest Smurf ever,” suggesting Ripley may have set a new height benchmark for the fictional blue characters. Similarly, The Movement – Pro Wrestling shared images captioned,
“RHEA RIPLEY LOOKING LIKE A WHOLE ASS SMURF ??? #WWERAW,”
further fueling the conversation.
An account named casey♡ wrote,
“vexy smurf has came to life as rhea ripley? #wweraw,”
reinforcing the playful comparisons that dominated fan responses.
Backstage Moments and Positive Notes from WWE Personalities
Following the show, Stephanie Vaquer’s Instagram Stories featured a glimpse of Ripley looking somewhat nervous, providing a candid behind-the-scenes perspective. WWE announcer Lilian Garcia also posted a photo with Ripley, where the wrestler appeared more upbeat after the segment had aired.
Garcia remarked on Instagram,
“Definitely worth coming to @wwe Raw and sharing in @rhearipley_wwe mist spray by @wwe_asuka ?,”
highlighting the memorable nature of the moment without detracting from Ripley’s performance.
Additional fan commentary continued, including Collision Cowboy’s tweet:
“asuka turned rhea into a smurf my goodness,”
underscoring the widespread fan engagement with the event.
Significance and Expected Reactions Following the Mist Attack
While Asuka’s blue mist attack was intended to mark a villainous shift in her character and underline the gravity of her confrontation with Ripley, the unexpected reaction from fans added a layer of humor to the narrative. The “Rhea Ripley Smurf Attack” moment will likely remain a memorable and talked-about highlight from this episode of RAW, influencing fan content and conversations in the near term.
Ripley’s visual transformation, combined with her match victory and the subsequent misting, helped to shape the storyline dynamics between her and Asuka. Moving forward, WWE audiences can anticipate further developments in this rivalry, possibly incorporating the mist as a recurring plot device or symbol of Asuka’s darker persona.
BROOO RHEA RIPLEY TURNED INTO A SMURF LMAOOOO#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/VLfGEJvQvX
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) September 23, 2025
asuka really turned rhea into a smurf😟 at least she won the match rightt😭 pic.twitter.com/Rq0KzOvakT
— emmy🧸 (@EmmyUrb) September 23, 2025
RHEA RIPLEY LOOKING LIKE A WHOLE ASS SMURF
😭😭😭#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/W99noQEbdq
— The Movement – Pro Wrestling (@TheMovementXx) September 23, 2025
Rhea’s the tallest Smurf ever.
Better end to #WWERaw that we’ve had in a while. pic.twitter.com/mxMQNhzCLF
— Edward (@_E5150) September 23, 2025
vexy smurf has came to life as rhea ripley😌 #wweraw pic.twitter.com/HZQ4QrDSgy
— casey♡ (@aj4rhea) September 23, 2025
asuka turned rhea into a smurf my goodness pic.twitter.com/1i637uXNsk
— Collision Cowboy (@collixioncowboy) September 23, 2025
