'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rhea Ripley decimated WWE veteran Natalya at Night of Champions. Any bit of credibility the latter had was taken away by the emphatic loss she suffered at the hands of The Eradicator, on her birthday.
This should bring back a Hall of Famer, who was also Natalya's tag partner at one point in time, between 2010 to 2012 and again from 2019 to 2020: Beth Pheonix.
Between 2022 and 2023, The Judgment Day has risen up the ranks as one of the most dominant factions in WWE. The credit goes in part to the former patriarch of the group, Edge, and his wife.
During the "I Quit" match between Finn Balor and Edge, Rhea Ripley attacked Beth Phoenix and hit the Con-Chair-To on the Hall of Famer, despite Edge admitting defeat. The duo's brief interactions, and the stand-offs between them, have continuously drawn loud reactions from fans.
However, the company has not yet capitalized on a money match between the two. Instead, on the Road to WrestleMania 39, Edge and Beth Phoenix teamed up in Montreal to defeat Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley. The storyline was ultimately put to rest on The Grandest Stage of Them All when The Rated-R Superstar defeated The Prince.
SmackDown Women's Champion Rhea Ripley needs a major opponent for SummerSlam. While there are various credible names on the roster today, Beth Phoenix returning for a contest against The Eradicator is a surefire sell. It's a match that people want to see.
Former WWE writer on Beth Phoenix vs. Rhea Ripley
The two women wrestling at Elimination Chamber earlier this year left the WWE Universe, including Freddie Prinze Jr., wanting more. Throw in the fact that the bout ended with Edge taking down Balor, it feels the women still have a story that could be explored.
On his Wrestling with Freddie podcast, the former WWE writer stated:
"She's [Ripley] going to be champ for a long time. I'd love to see Beth [Phoenix] come out of retirement, the way her man [Edge] came out of retirement because she did Beth wrong at that other pay-per-view, where she was like going to basically kill her and they made Edge say, 'I quit.' That was how they beat Edge in that 'I Quit' match, she was going to Con-chair-to Beth," said Freddie Prinze Jr.
He continued:
"Now you get that payoff, where you let Beth come in and get one little run at the belt, she loses, of course, and you let Rhea get that win as well, and that gives you time to build up whatever babyface you want to come after her that's going to fail, ultimately."
Rhea Ripley has been an entertaining act alongside The Judgment Day on Monday nights. Her being the SmackDown Women's Champion adds extra weight to her overall star power. However, it seems she is lacking an opponent at the same level.
With SummerSlam coming up, WWE would be wise to book the mouthwatering bout for the show. As it is all but confirmed that Trish Stratus and Becky Lynch are going to continue their storyline through the summer, that leaves The Man out of title contention for some time.
