Rhea Ripley should do one thing to improve her character, according to WWE veteran: “That’s not her persona” (Exclusive)

WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley is one of the most over wrestlers in the company currently. The former Women's World Champion is currently involved in a feud with The Kabuki Warriors and has IYO SKY by her side. Both sides collided at WWE Crown Jewel this past weekend in Perth.

Ripley and IYO emerged as winners over The Kabuki Warriors in front of her adoring home fans. Ripley has transitioned successfully from a dark heel character to one beloved by fans, but WWE veteran Vince Russo recently criticized her character work.

Speaking on the latest episode of Legion of RAW on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Russo claimed that he's unsure of what Ripley's current gimmick is. He said that she's not behaving like a Goth as her gimmick portrays her to be. Russo claimed that if she wants to be Goth, she needs to be a little darker and a bit more moody.

"I could ask you right now what's Rhea Ripley's gimmick? Because Rhea Ripley's gimmick is not Goth. That's not how Goth [works], bro. The scenes in the back with her and IYO SKY, that's not Goth, bro. That's not Goth. I mean, she can dress goth all she wants. If she doesn't act goth, then she's not Goth. She's just putting on Goth makeup. So, if you're going to be Goth, be Goth. And you're not going to have those scenes with IYO SKY in the back, man. You're going to be dark. You're going to be moody. You're not going to say a lot. You're going to be in your own little world. Nobody's going to be able to figure you out. That's not her persona," Russo said.

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Ripley was involved in action on Monday Night RAW as well, following WWE Crown Jewel. She defeated Kairi Sane in a singles match on RAW, but was then attacked by both Asuka and Kairi. It doesn't seem like the feud between these four women is nearing resolution, with a marquee match between Ripley and Asuka likely on the horizon.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Faiz Ahmed