Rhea Ripley was "extremely depressed" before big WWE change (Exclusive)

Rhea Ripley is one of WWE's most popular superstars right now. In an exclusive interview, the former Women's World Champion opened up about the confidence issues that once affected her career.

Ripley joined WWE in 2017 after four years on the independent scene in Australia. The 27-year-old competed in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament before moving through the WWE ranks in NXT UK and NXT. Nowadays, she is among the top talents on RAW.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Ripley admitted she did not know how to behave on-screen in her first few years in WWE:

"I think it's more confidence than anything. When I first started in the WWE I was 20 years old. I was young, I was still learning who I was as a person and who I was in this business. I was terrified, so I wanted to please people. I wanted to take in all the criticism that I can and mold myself into something that the federation wanted." [0:26 – 0:47]

In 2022, Rhea Ripley underwent a drastic character transformation when she joined the villainous Judgment Day faction. Over time, she built a large fanbase and cemented her status as one of WWE's main babyface attractions.

Ripley added that she once became depressed due to worries about the direction of her career:

"It got to the point that I lost who I was as a person and I was extremely depressed and upset and homesick and I had to have like a little sit-down with myself and be like, 'Nah, scr*w that, be yourself, be genuine,' so that's exactly what I did and you can see over the last few years, from NXT UK to NXT to RAW, my confidence has grown immensely throughout each step of my life and my career here." [0:48 – 1:16]

Watch the video above to hear Ripley's message to Charlotte Flair. She also spoke about possibly facing Bianca Belair at WrestleMania.

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What's next for Rhea Ripley in WWE?

On August 31, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley will join forces to face Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan at WWE Bash in Berlin.

Mysterio and Ripley were an on-screen couple for almost two years before the latter was sidelined with a shoulder injury in April. During the Aussie's three-month absence, Morgan kissed Mysterio and made it clear she wanted to take everything away from her rival.

On August 3, Mysterio betrayed Ripley by helping Morgan retain the Women's World Championship at SummerSlam. Following the match, the former NXT North American Champion kissed Morgan at ringside.

What would you like to see next from Rhea Ripley? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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