Edgy Australian wrestler Rhea Ripley tipped to win WWE Women’s Royal Rumble

An Australian wrestling superstar is tipped for stardom as she’s the favourite to win Sunday’s WWE Royal Rumble.

Adelaide-born Rhea Ripley, 26, will take on 29 other women in the biggest event in the wrestling calendar. 

The Royal Rumble is the biggest event in the WWE calendar and involved 30 fighters aiming to eliminate their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, while staying in the ring themselves. 

The match begins with two fighters with another joining every 90 seconds. 

Seven women, including Ripley, have been confirmed for the match with WWE expected to fill up the remaining 23 slots with retired wrestling legends. 

Fans have speculated the Ripley could make history by becoming the fourth woman ever to make an appearance in the men’s rumble later in the night. 

The winner of each match will receive a shot at the title at WrestleMania.

Adelaide-born Rhea Ripley, 26, will take on 29 other women in the biggest event in the wrestling calendar

It will be the fifth Rumble match for Ripley, who has seen her popularity skyrocket after joining the Judgement Day faction six months ago.

This year’s Royal Rumble will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. 

Rhea Ripley became the first Aussie to win the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37 in 2021.

The Royal Rumble is the biggest event in the WWE calendar and involved 30 fighters aiming to eliminate their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, while staying in the ring themselves

Rhea (real name Demi Bennett) previously explained how her life changed during a family holiday when she was in her early teens.

‘I was a very sporty kid. I loved WWE from the first moment I laid eyes on it. Then we went on a family holiday to Queensland and found out wrestling exists in Australia!’ she told Sunrise.

She spent the next two years studying the craft before being signed to local Adelaide promotion Riot City Wrestling.

Rhea soon became known for her taxing hardcore-style matches – and while the results are pre-determined, there’s nothing fake about being slammed onto a pile of thumb tacks or thrown off a ladder into a table.

 In order to ensure blood during matches, Rhea would use a pro-wrestling technique called ‘blading,’ which involves using a hidden razor to discretely slice open your forehead in order to induce bleeding following a staged knock to the head.

Rhea soon became known for her taxing hardcore-style matches