Why is Rhea Ripley facing 26-year-old star at upcoming WWE show? Exploring possible future alliance

Rhea Ripley reigns supreme as the Women’s World Champion. Mami has shown over the past couple of months she is capable of handling both men and women inside the ring. Her next challenge will step up to her in the form of a 26-year-old star tonight on NXT.

Rhea Ripley will wrestle in a non-title singles match against Lyra Valkyria of NXT this Tuesday. The upstart Valkyria challenged Ripley to a match during a backstage interview with Byron Saxton. It is possible the match could lead to a future alliance between the two superstars.

Ripley had seemingly hinted at a future interaction with Lyra several weeks ago on NXT. The WWE Women’s World Champion arrived in the NXT women’s locker room to find Jacy Jayne’s unconscious body after an attack by Lyra.

The Judgment Day star praised Lyra Valkyria for taking care of her business on her own. It is worth mentioning that this will be Ripley’s first match in NXT in two years. She last wrestled on the brand at New Year’s Evil on January 6, 2021.

At that event, Mami took on her real-life best friend Raquel Rodriguez in a Last Woman Standing match at the NXT special event. Big Mami Cool managed to put the Nightmare through the stage and emerged as the Last Woman Standing.

Rhea Ripley destroyed Raquel Rodriguez on RAW last week

Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez have been teasing a big match for the past several weeks. Big Mami Cool said she wasn’t scared of The Nightmare. Ripley took offense to those words and attacked her former best friend last week on RAW.

The assault left Big Mami Cool with an injured leg though she still managed to compete in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match later during the show. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, the injury cost her and Liv Morgan the titles.

Ripley also took out Liv Morgan on RAW this week. It remains to be seen if Raquel Rodriguez will heal in time to take on the Eradicator of the Judgment Day as SummerSlam 2023 approaches.

Do you want to see a match between the two stars at SummerSlam? Let us know in the comments section below!