16-year WWE veteran says Rhea Ripley "looked down upon" her (Exclusive)

WWE veteran Natalya believes Rhea Ripley looked down upon her after their match at last month's Night of the Champions event.

The Eradicator made quick work of Natalya when the latter challenged her for the SmackDown Women's Championship at the May 27 premium live event. Ripley's Judgment Day stablemate Dominik Mysterio made his presence felt when he distracted the 41-year-old performer. Rhea Ripley took advantage of this situation and pinned Natalya in just over a minute.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Bill Apter, Natalya stated the Judgment Day member underestimates her talents. She added that Ripley didn't value her veteran status and looked down upon her after their match at Night of Champions.

"What I feel about Rhea, especially after Night of Champions, is I feel she underestimates me. I don't think she thinks I have what it takes to be in the ring with her. I don't think she respects my veteran status, and after she beat me so fast, I don't think she was only proud of herself, but she also looked down upon me as if I didn't matter," said Natalya. [6:16 - 6:39]

Check out the full video below:

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WWE has big plans in store for Rhea Ripley

Since winning the SmackDown Women's Title (now known as Women's World Championship) at WrestleMania 39, Rhea Ripley has defended it only a few times. She would also not be putting the gold on the line at MITB 2023. Instead, she would be at ringside for Dominik Mysterio during his match against Cody Rhodes.

However, there's good news for concerned fans, as recent rumors suggest WWE has planned a couple of marquee matches for her. While Ripley is rumored to face Raquel Rodriguez at SummerSlam 2023, she's slated to have an even bigger match at WrestleMania 40, where she'll reportedly face Bianca Belair.

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