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Rhea Ripley has revealed that she almost had a very different nickname in WWE before the Stamford-based promotion shot down the idea. In a recent interview, the former Women's Champion disclosed that she wanted the nickname "Papi."
Ripley is arguably the biggest draw in WWE's women's division today. The reactions she generates every week on RAW are a testament to just how beloved she has become among fans. The former Women's Champion has come to be fondly known as Mami, and commentators and fans regularly address her by the moniker.
However, Ripley herself had something different in mind. In a chat with Chris Van Vliet, the former Judgment Day member said that she tried to convince WWE to give her the name "Papi." She added that the higher-ups in the company quickly turned down the request and that even Damian Priest advised her against it.
“No, I was trying to push the Papi agenda. And they were like, 'Yeah, we can’t do that.' And then Priest was like, ‘What about Mami?’ I was like, Okay, guess I’ll be Mami. I was really set on the Papi thing. I was like, I can be a little s**t stirrer, just be Papi this, Papi that. But they’re like, we just can’t go there. And I was like, 'Okay, I respect that.' Mami’s gonna grow on me, though," Rhea Ripley said. [H/T: chrisvanvliet.com]Goldberg's son breaks silence on his son wrestling again HERE
Rhea Ripley feared she would miss WrestleMania 41
Elsewhere in the same interview, Ripley spoke about almost missing WrestleMania 41 due to back issues. The former WWE Women's Champion revealed she got her masseur to help her heal on an urgent basis and make it to the show. She added that following a two-day process, she felt good enough to compete.
"I didn't think that I would be able to wrestle at WrestleMania 41. I didn't think I was going to be able to compete because my back was so bad leading up to it. The two nights beforehand, I got [my masseur] Matthew to come to my room, and he worked on me the night before the Hall of Fame and the night of the Hall of Fame. I was like, 'I need you to make sure I can walk tomorrow.' And he worked on me those two nights, and it loosened completely just in time for the match," Ripley said.Rhea Ripley went on to have a standout match at WrestleMania 41, where she challenged IYO SKY for the Women's Title in a three-way match also featuring Bianca Belair. Though Ripley failed to win the gold, with SKY retaining her title, the match would go down as one of the most memorable of the year.
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Edited by Pratik Singh
English (US)