Rhea Ripley pitched a new name for herself; WWE immediately rejected the idea

Rhea Ripley has revealed that she almost had a very different nickname in WWE before the Stamford-based promotion shot down the idea. In a recent interview, the former Women's Champion disclosed that she wanted the nickname "Papi."

Ripley is arguably the biggest draw in WWE's women's division today. The reactions she generates every week on RAW are a testament to just how beloved she has become among fans. The former Women's Champion has come to be fondly known as Mami, and commentators and fans regularly address her by the moniker.

However, Ripley herself had something different in mind. In a chat with Chris Van Vliet, the former Judgment Day member said that she tried to convince WWE to give her the name "Papi." She added that the higher-ups in the company quickly turned down the request and that even Damian Priest advised her against it.

“No, I was trying to push the Papi agenda. And they were like, 'Yeah, we can’t do that.' And then Priest was like, ‘What about Mami?’ I was like, Okay, guess I’ll be Mami. I was really set on the Papi thing. I was like, I can be a little s**t stirrer, just be Papi this, Papi that. But they’re like, we just can’t go there. And I was like, 'Okay, I respect that.' Mami’s gonna grow on me, though," Rhea Ripley said. [H/T: chrisvanvliet.com]

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Rhea Ripley feared she would miss WrestleMania 41

Elsewhere in the same interview, Ripley spoke about almost missing WrestleMania 41 due to back issues. The former WWE Women's Champion revealed she got her masseur to help her heal on an urgent basis and make it to the show. She added that following a two-day process, she felt good enough to compete.

"I didn't think that I would be able to wrestle at WrestleMania 41. I didn't think I was going to be able to compete because my back was so bad leading up to it. The two nights beforehand, I got [my masseur] Matthew to come to my room, and he worked on me the night before the Hall of Fame and the night of the Hall of Fame. I was like, 'I need you to make sure I can walk tomorrow.' And he worked on me those two nights, and it loosened completely just in time for the match," Ripley said.

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Rhea Ripley went on to have a standout match at WrestleMania 41, where she challenged IYO SKY for the Women's Title in a three-way match also featuring Bianca Belair. Though Ripley failed to win the gold, with SKY retaining her title, the match would go down as one of the most memorable of the year.

About the author

Arpit Shrivastava is a journalist who reports on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda. He is also an assistant content manager for the AEW team and has played a pivotal role in building it from the ground up. Arpit graduated in Political Science and Mass Communication. From writing for his college magazine while being a huge wrestling fan to pursuing journalism as a career, he has accumulated five years of experience in the industry.

During the course of his career, Arpit has written nearly 4k articles, garnering over 32 million reads. Besides covering the latest stories in the world of pro wrestling, Arpit mentors several up-and-coming writers and is also responsible for assembling a stellar team for Sportskeeda's All Elite Wrestling division. Arpit gives utmost importance to fact-based reporting as he sources information only from reliable outlets. He believes in providing relevant information to readers, allowing them to form their opinions based on legitimate facts.

Among Arpit's favorite wrestlers is MJF. He admires The Wolf of Wrestling for his cool, anti-authoritative attitude on television. Arpit is also fond of Sami Zayn's never-say-die approach and underdog persona. In the women's division, he looks up to Becky Lynch for her sheer aura.

Outside of pro wrestling, Arpit is a massive history and cinema buff. He spends his leisure time reading and following tennis and cricket.

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Edited by Pratik Singh