Rhea Ripley losing at WWE SummerSlam; Hall of Famer predicts best move for reigning champion (Exclusive)

WWE SummerSlam already has a bout announced for Rhea Ripley, where she will be going up against the reigning Women's World Champion Naomi and the former title holder, IYO SKY, in a Triple Threat Match. Despite what fans may think, International Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer Bill Apter believes the title should not change hands right now.

Rhea Ripley is considered to be one of the top stars in the women's division currently, and her fans certainly want her to win the Women's World Championship once again. Nevertheless, Naomi, after turning heel, has emerged as an interesting character in the recent months, catching the attention of veterans like Bill Apter, among several others.

Speaking about Naomi on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine hosted by Mac Davis, Apter had the following to say about the upcoming match between Rhea Ripley, Naomi, and IYO SKY:

"Great combination. Three girls who know how to work, three girls that have incredible personalities." [1:28 onwards]

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Apter then praised the reigning champion Naomi and her newfound unhinged heel persona. He felt it would be a mistake to take the title off The Glow at SummerSlam, despite what the WWE Universe might want:

"Naomi is such a crazed character at this point that no matter how much people want Rhea to win or IYO to win, it would be a big mistake if Naomi does not retain the title." [1:49 onwards]

Check out Apter's comments in the video below:

Bill Apter had previously praised the WWE Women's World Champion

Bill Apter had already made it clear that Naomi's character was headed for an interesting run in WWE when she won the Money in the Bank contract.

Speaking in a previous episode of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine, the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer stated:

"Well, I had picked Stephanie Vaquer originally because so many people picked Naomi. She's got that great heel thing going for her. They have so much programming they can do with her. I think evil Naomi is a great pick." [From 0:23 onwards]

Check out his comments in the video below:

As of now, it remains to be seen whether Naomi can retain her title come WWE SummerSlam against the two popular babyfaces.

Please embed the exclusive YouTube video and credit Sportskeeda Wrestling, giving an H/T for the transcription, if you use the quotes from the first part of this article.

About the author

Shubhajit is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda, reporting on WWE news. He has a Master's degree in English and has been working in his current role for over 2 years.

A fan of pro wrestling since childhood, Shubhajit decided to start creating content on the sport out of passion. Before covering a piece of news or rumor, he conducts thorough research, ensuring information in his work is reliable and completely accurate.

Although Shubhajit admires numerous pro wrestlers, his current favorite is WWE superstar Drew McIntyre. He is fond of The Scottish Warrior’s character work and innovative quips.

If there is one storyline he can work on in WWE, Shubhajit would book Roman Reigns’ future with The Bloodline following WrestleMania XL, where he lost to Cody Rhodes. He would have Reigns’ stablemates excommunicate him, laying the foundation for a gimmick change for the former. After Reigns’ exit from the faction, Shubhajit would portray him as an anti-hero trying hard to claw his way back up to the top.

Apart from reporting on pro wrestling, Shubhajit enjoys competitive gaming and reading.

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Edited by Sayantan Niyogi