Pop Culture

‘Sports Bitches’ Spotlights Rhea Ripley’s Wit Beyond the WWE

October 19, 2025

If you only know Rhea Ripley from the WWE ring, you might expect her to be all intensity, all the time. But on Sports Bitches, hosted by Rachel Bonnetta, Megan Gailey, and Sarah Tiana, Ripley shows off something else entirely: a playful, witty, and unapologetically real side of herself. Far from the powerhouse who dominates her opponents in the ring, she opens up about her hectic life, her true personality, her love for metal and mosh pits, and even her fascination with horror movies.

Ripley is someone who’s just as comfortable laughing about her jam-packed suitcases as she is talking about her on-stage persona. It’s proof that humor and vulnerability are just as magnetic as championships and title belts. She may be a world-class wrestler, but she’s also a woman who admits her life is messy, her playlists are loud, and her fandoms are unexpected.

Rhea Ripley brings her real life to the mic

When the hosts ask how she’s doing, Ripley laughs about the chaos of packing and preparing for WWE events on the other side of the world, saying, “I’m getting ready for Crown Jewel and SmackDown and Raw…I’m going to have at least two to three suitcases going over there.”

While Raw and SmackDown air weekly on Netflix and the USA Network, respectively, Crown Jewel is really the WWE’s, well, crown jewel. Ripley explained that the pay-per-view event, which was held in her home country of Australia, is a massive undertaking both physically and mentally. Between travel, press, and performing on one of the company’s largest global stages, she describes the energy as equal parts chaotic and thrilling.

For someone whose image is built on dominance and intimidation, talking about overstuffed luggage and family gifts reminds listeners she’s a real person balancing the same everyday stressors, just on a much larger scale.

Her authenticity shines

Ripley’s authenticity shines through as she reflects on her identity in the public eye. When asked about her transformation, she dismisses the notion that it was manufactured. “The Rhea you see today is the Rhea I’ve always been, even outside the wrestling ring. This is just who I am,” she asserts, reinforcing her genuine nature.

She describes her love of heavy music and the mosh pit energy that has shaped her since childhood. “I’ve always loved going to concerts and being in the mosh pits and the walls of death,” she says. “I’ve always been the black sheep of everything.”

Even in school, she was blasting metal through her headphones despite the judgment. “People would just be, like, judging me as I sit banging, drawing, or doing my work. So it’s always been me. I was just really scared to be me,” she says.

That willingness to embrace her true self—loud, bold, and different—is what makes her resonate with fans who see pieces of themselves in her journey.

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A horror fan at heart

As if wrestling and music weren’t enough, Ripley also shares her love for horror movies. She playfully jokes about her ultimate dream of being part of a slasher flick, preferably as the victim of a Freddy or Jason-style villain.

Bonnetta tells her, “I genuinely, genuinely hope that you get to be murdered on film one day. I really hope that for you.” Ripley jumps in immediately and says, “Me too. Me too.”

Her fans clearly know this side of her well, because she laughs about the gifts she receives. “My fans are the best. They just give me Terrifier merch 24/7,” she reveals. It’s a delightfully unexpected glimpse of her personality—one that shows her humor, her quirks, and the unique ways her audience connects with her beyond the ring.

As the conversation draws to a close, Ripley’s excitement is palpable. She eagerly anticipates her upcoming matches in Australia, exuding a contagious energy that resonates with her fans. “I can’t wait to kick ass,” she laughs.