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Vince Russo believes WWE should have booked Rhea Ripley as Finn Balor’s bodyguard after she joined the main roster from NXT.
Ripley won the NXT UK Women’s Championship and NXT Women’s Championship in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The 25-year-old then appeared prominently on RAW in early 2020 before officially joining the brand in 2021.
Russo, WWE’s head writer in the late 1990s, spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Dr. Chris Featherstone about Ripley’s recent booking. As one of the most dominant women in WWE, he thinks The Nightmare should have been presented in a similar way as legendary superstar Chyna:
“You bring her in there with so many other women you could have fed her," said Russo. "Win, win, win, win, win, and then, bro, what I would have done is I would have had maybe one of the smaller guys, I don’t know why but Finn Balor comes to mind. ‘I’m gonna hire you as my bodyguard.’”
Watch the video above to hear more of Russo’s thoughts on whether WWE can turn Ripley into a top star in the coming years.
Vince Russo thinks Rhea Ripley could be a popular babyface with Finn Balor
Chyna worked as a bodyguard for D-Generation X members Shawn Michaels and Triple H after she signed with WWE in 1997. She went on to become hugely popular as a singles competitor between 1999 and 2001, during which time she wrestled both men and women.
Using Chyna and Triple H as an example, Vince Russo thinks a partnership between Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley would benefit both superstars.
“You could have her there just like in the Chyna role," Russo continued. "Bro, you know slowly but surely she’s gonna get over because she’s a physical specimen and she’s special and she’s an attraction. I say this all the table, bro: you set the table, when that babyface spot comes, boom, she’s over huge.”
Ripley attempted to mutually part ways with her tag team partner Nikki A.S.H. on last week’s episode of RAW. But the masked superstar did not take kindly to Ripley’s suggestion and attacked her in the middle of the ring to bring their alliance to a violent conclusion.
Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling if you use quotes from this article.
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