Rhea Ripley became more involved with the men's division when Dominik Mysterio did the unthinkable and turned on his father, Rey Mysterio, at WWE Clash at the Castle 2022. His heel turn was met with a massive pop from the WWE Universe, and the cherry on top was Rhea Ripley, or as Dominik Mysterio would say it: “Mami”.
Dominik Mysterio calls The Nightmare "mami", and fans were rather curious to know the reason behind it in the initial days. Even though no one raises an eyebrow when Dom Dom refers to her as such, fans still wonder how this came to be.
Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley are shown as a couple in their current storyline. Obviously, this has rubbed Rey Mysterio the wrong way, especially when Eddie Guerrero’s name was involved in it. It’s possible the term "mami" has been included in the storyline as a nod to Eddie Guerrero referring to Chyna as "mamacita".
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Hence, it’s possible that Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio are trying to replicate that as a token of their kayfabe love.
Rhea Ripley may have given Dominik Mysterio the idea to call her "Mami"
While pulling off a name similar to Chyna is one possibility, it could be that Ripley herself gave Mysterio the idea.
The Nightmare had been absent from WWE TV for a few weeks, but she returned on Rey Mysterio’s anniversary last July. To make it a grand return, the idea was that she’d wear Eddie Guerrero's famous "I'm your papi" t-shirt. The audience exploded when this happened.
However, the idea was further nurtured, and "I’m your mami" was finally born. She soon started wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan and the rest is history!
The Nightmare has revealed that she absolutely loves every bit of being referred to as "Mami".
"I love every single aspect of that. I called myself Papi before just to sort of get under his skin and get through to him, and also to make fun of Rey. Where Dom, Dom Dom gets what he wants," Rhea said. "If he wants Mami, it’s Mami. If he wants Papi, it’s Papi."
Currently, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley’s chemistry is something fans look forward to witnessing during the weekly shows. In fact, whenever Dominik hides behind Ripley to save himself from another superstar, the fans can’t help but cheer for Ripley and Mysterio.