WWE may have teased Rhea Ripley's real-life best friend as her SummerSlam opponent on RAW

Rhea Ripley has been on a roll ever since securing the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship from Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. The title of her championship changed to the Women’s World Championship, removing the SmackDown Women’s Championship belt altogether.

As of now, The Nightmare has not put the new Women’s World Championship on the line against anyone. Whoever wins the Women's Money in the Bank ladder match can cash in against Rhea Ripley for the title at any time. On the other hand, SummerSlam 2023 is another premium live event where Ripley can put the title on the line.

It is possible that the June 19, 2023, WWE RAW episode revealed Raquel Rodriguez as Ripley’s challenger for SummerSlam 2023. It so happened that Rodriguez revealed she would cash in the Money in the Bank contract against Ripley after winning the MITB 2023 ladder match. Unfortunately, Rodriguez did not qualify for the ladder match, leaving SummerSlam 2023 as the next best option for a title bout between Rodriguez and Ripley.

Since WWE teased a potential rivalry between the two real-life best friends, there’s a chance the winner of the MITB 2023 women’s ladder match will not cash in against The Nightmare prior to a title match between Rodriguez and Ripley. Furthermore, the winner will have 12 months to cash in the contract, and it can be against any of the Women’s Champions across the three brands.

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Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez have been friends since WWE NXT

Both superstars made their WWE NXT debut in 2017. However, they started bonding during their time at the Performance Center. They’ve often captured their moments and showcased their friendship on social media.

The pair had their rivalry during their time with WWE NXT, but Ripley was called up to the main roster before Rodriguez. As a result, The Nightmare became a guiding star for her friend when she was called up. During an interview, Rodriguez revealed the depth of her friendship with Rhea Ripley.

"I’ve looked to Rhea Ripley a lot [for advice] because we are close friends, frenemies, whatever you wanna call us. But she has had her experience on the main roster for a little bit longer than I have so I do go to her for a lot of advice, especially when it comes to these bigger events like Elimination Chamber.”

Currently, both superstars are in the red brand, and Rodriguez wants to pursue the Women’s World Championship. Unfortunately, she could not qualify for the MITB ladder match during the qualifier against Trish Stratus on WWE RAW.