Popular WWE star to return after 9 years and dethrone Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 40? Exploring the possibility

Rhea Ripley isn’t the fighting champion one expected her to be, but when she puts her title on the line, it’s a high-profile match. It so happens that The Eradicator is putting the World Women’s Championship on the line against four other superstars in a Fatal-5 Way match at Crown Jewel 2023.

However, it seems too soon for The Eradicator to be dethroned. Once she comes out as the victor at Crown Jewel 2023, Rhea Ripley will have to focus on The Grandest Stage of All, WrestleMania 40. Ripley may need to watch her back even more because a former superstar can return alongside her husband to take Titanland by storm.

CM Punk is supposedly returning to WWE after his AEW exit. However, it’s a floating rumor, but fans are rallying behind the idea. If The Saint of Second City comes back to town, his wife, AJ Lee, might make a comeback as well. To make her mark on the women’s division, she can immediately challenge The Eradicator and take her down at WrestleMania 40.

This would send a crucial message to the women’s division about AJ Lee. However, the ripple effect of CM Punk’s return leading to AJ Lee’s return doesn’t seem likely, even though her association with Women of Wrestling has ended, and she’s a free agent. Furthermore, she took to social media to caption herself as a “retired athlete,” possibly affirming that she has no intentions of stepping inside the ring.

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Rhea Ripley has a message for her challengers

The Women’s World Champion wasn’t happy when she was added to the Fatal Five-Way bout for Crown Jewel. Nevertheless, Mami isn’t one to back down from a fight, but Rhea Ripley has a special message for Nia Jax, Zoey Stark, Raquel Rodriguez, and Shayna Baszler.

"Every woman within this Fatal Five-way match thinks that this is their chance to make a name for themselves. Well, the reality is that it's not. It has nothing to do with them. It has to do with me. This is my chance to beat every single one of the top females here in this division all at once to claim this as Mami's show. And at Crown Jewel, I will prove to the world that I'm the most dominant woman here on RAW, and I will stay your Women's World Champion.”

It is yet unknown if Dominik Mysterio will be ringside during Rhea Ripley’s match, but it will be difficult for him or any of the other Judgment members to interfere in the women’s match to protect The Eradicator.