Rising WWE star says she is "comparable to Rhea Ripley"

Rhea Ripley has emerged as one of World Wrestling Entertainment's top stars in recent years. Ahead of the new WWE LFG series, developmental talent Zena Sterling explained why some people compare her and the popular Aussie.

Sterling, real name Olena Sadovska, reported to WWE's Performance Center training facility in Orlando, Florida, in 2023. The Ukrainian's early days in the wrestling industry will be documented on A&E show WWE LFG on February 16.

In a preview video for the series, Sterling said she and Rhea Ripley share similar appearances and backstories:

"I see myself most comparable to Rhea Ripley. She started at the PC when she was 19 years old too, just like me, and she also loves working out. She has a big back and I'd say I have a pretty big back, too." [7:09 - 7:21]

Sterling has wrestled at several non-televised NXT live events. However, she has not yet competed in a match on WWE programming.

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Zena Sterling has dreams beyond being the next Rhea Ripley

WWE's 2024 premium live event calendar included trips to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Scotland. The company has also held many shows in Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world during international tours.

Zena Sterling is proud to be from Ukraine and hopes she can play a role in her home country hosting a future WWE event:

"I think being the first Ukrainian female [in WWE], I'm excited to be able to put Ukraine on the map for WWE and hopefully take WWE to Ukraine one day." [7:22 – 7:32]

Sterling appeared in a WWE LFG teaser video on the February 10 episode of RAW. The clip revolved around World Heavyweight Champion Gunther telling her to "find some grit." He also said "nobody cares" about her Barbie-style looks.

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Please credit WWE LFG and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.