Rhea Ripley Shuts Down Fake Story

Rhea Ripley has been forced to address a fabricated story that has been circulating widely in the online wrestling community, denying that she ever gave an interview discussing muscle loss due to back pain. The claim originated from a wrestling fanpage on X/Twitter that alleged Ripley had shed significant muscle mass as a result of back issues and had spoken about it publicly. Fightful Select‘s Sean Ross Sapp pushed back on the post, asking where Ripley had actually made those statements, before Ripley herself stepped in to shut the story down entirely.

“That interview never happened. Just another made up thing about me,” Ripley wrote on X/Twitter, dismissing the claim with characteristic directness.

Sapp also weighed in on the broader narrative surrounding Ripley’s physique, framing it as a non-issue. “I think Rhea should look like whatever she wants to look like, and has performed great without interruption,” he wrote — a pointed observation given that Ripley’s in-ring work has received consistent acclaim regardless of how her physical appearance is discussed or dissected online.

Jade Cargill Previously Called Out Rhea Ripley’s Physique in Their WrestleMania 42 Build

The fabricated back pain story exists within a broader conversation about Ripley’s physique that has been a recurring theme during her WrestleMania 42 build with WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill. Ripley’s current frame is noticeably leaner than the heavily muscled build she carried during her NXT days, and Cargill directly referenced the difference in her first promo against Ripley following the latter’s Elimination Chamber win.

Ripley’s response to that particular line of attack was characteristically unfazed. While acknowledging she does not carry the same muscle mass as Cargill, she made clear that getting knocked down by Cargill’s best shot is not a given — and that there is no guarantee Cargill gets back up if Ripley connects with hers. The exchange encapsulates the physical and psychological dynamic that has made their rivalry one of the most compelling heading into WrestleMania 42.

Ripley challenges Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 on April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The feud has been further intensified by Cargill’s allies Michin and B-Fab attacking IYO SKY — Ripley’s backup — in recent weeks, raising the stakes on both sides heading into what figures to be one of the most physically intense women’s championship matches in WrestleMania history.

https://x.com/RheaRipley_WWE/status/2043128108337779094