Rhea Ripley wins WWE Women’s title at WrestleMania 42

Rhea Ripley IYO SKY WWE
Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY on April 3 WWE SmackDown.

With IYO SKY helping to even the odds, Rhea Ripley ascended back to the top of the women’s division at WWE WrestleMania 42.

Night two of the event saw Ripley defeat Jade Cargill to become the new WWE Women’s Champion. The match contained interference with Michin and B-Fab — who formed a new faction with Cargill on the road to WrestleMania — trying to help Cargill retain. But Ripley got help from her tag team partner SKY, who took out Michin and B-Fab with a moonsault leading into the finish.

Ripley hit a headbutt and went for Riptide after SKY neutralized the heel interference. Cargill was able to slip out, hit a kick, and go for Jaded — but Ripley escaped and then delivered Riptide for the win. After the match, Ripley and SKY celebrated together with Ripley thanking SKY for having her back.

The result means Ripley, who had been on Raw, is now officially moving over to SmackDown as she becomes the brand’s champion.

At 29 years old, Ripley has now already competed at seven WrestleManias, owning victories over the likes of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Asuka, and Cargill. WWE President Nick Khan had high praise for Ripley ahead of WrestleMania, saying she’ll be one of the faces of the company for years to come.

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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.