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WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long recently lavished praise on RAW Superstar Rhea Ripley, saying she had come a long way in her career.
The Judgment Day member sealed her place at WrestleMania 39 after overcoming 29 other contenders during the Women's Royal Rumble match last week. The most impressive part about her win was the fact that she was the first competitor to enter the clash and lasted for over an hour before coming on top. Two days later, on RAW, Ripley challenged Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Title.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's The Wrestling Time Machine podcast hosted by Mac Davis, Teddy Long stated that Rhea Ripley was "legit."
The former SmackDown General Manager added that Ripley had proved to fans that she was worthy of dethroning The Queen as the SmackDown Women's Champion.
"My opinion of her is that she's legit. I'm gonna tell you that right now, she's legit. Speaking of her, you know, winner of the Royal Rumble, this young lady has certainly come a long way in a short time. She has certainly proved herself to everybody in WWE, and she has certainly proved to the fans, the WWE Universe, that, 'Hey, I'm the one to take on Charlotte Flair and become the next women's champion.' So Rhea, god, I love you man, she's just doing fantastic things," said Teddy Long. (2:52 - 3:23)
Check out the full episode below:
Bill Apter is also a fan of WWE star Rhea Ripley
During the same conversation, Bill Apter also praised Rhea Ripley, saying she was on the verge of becoming the face of WWE's women's roster.
He also predicted that The Eradicator would defeat Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39.
"I predicted it a while ago when I did my Royal Rumble predictions. I just see her as the toughest lady. She's already lost to Charlotte Flair and I think it embarrassed her, but she said on RAW that this was a different Rhea Ripley and it's a different Charlotte Flair, too. If I'm looking at this technically, in terms of who might win this match, I think Ripley might have the edge over Charlotte at this point because it's not the same Rhea that fought Charlotte in the past," added Bill Apter. (3:56 - 4:37)
Considering how strongly Ripley has been booked in recent months, it's safe to assume that her crowning moment at WWE WrestleMania 39 is only a matter of time now.
Do you agree with Teddy Long's opinion of The Judgment Day member? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
If any quotes are used from this article, please embed the Spotify link and credit Sportskeeda Wrestling.
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