Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair might be enemies on-screen, but off-screen, Ripley has respect for Flair and the people she has to deal with online.
While many wrestlers are the target of online abuse, Charlotte is constantly criticized for everything from her booking to her ability to her looks. And while online fans are just a small part of the WWE Universe, the insults and criticism don't hurt any less.
Speaking to Matty Paddock of Daily Star, Ripley stuck up for Flair and how she deals with the online abuse.
"She is absolutely incredible with what she does, and I think she holds herself together very well. Charlotte gets a lot of crap on the internet, and I know a lot of us do, which is something I don’t understand too much. I don’t understand why people have to be so rude on social media, especially when we work for WWE… people get confused with how we act in our own lives and how we act on TV. They take it out on us, and I don’t think that’s very fair," she said. "As a colleague, I love being in the ring with Charlotte and I definitely do learn a lot from her. I know that she gets so much stuff on social media, and I don’t think that’s fair whatsoever. Like I said, she pulls herself together very well and is a very confident individual – that is something that I really look up to. It impresses me knowing how much she goes through; how strong she is and how much she doesn’t care about anyone else’s opinion. I think that is fantastic. Some comments make you think ‘Yes! I’m doing my job right.’ The ones I don’t like are where it’s body-shaming and stuff like that – that’s what I do not appreciate. So, some of it can be flattering, but for the rest it’s like… ‘you don’t have to go there!”
Ripley and Flair are set to clash once again at WWE Money in the Bank with Ripley's Raw Women's Championship on the line.
You can view the current lineup for WWE Money in the Bank by clicking here.
