Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Rhea Ripley

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Rhea Ripley made an impact.

Demi Bennett, known as Rhea Ripley in WWE, is a highly regarded Australian professional wrestler. Currently on the Raw brand, she's a two-time Women's World Champion and former WWE Raw Women's Champion. Recognized for her skill and popularity, her first Women's World Championship reign is tied for the longest in history at 380 days.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

June 2013: Riot City Wrestling Debut

On June 22, 2013, at the age of 16, Demi Bennett debuted in Riot City Wrestling (RCW).

2013: Independent Circuit Debut

In 2013, Rhea Ripley, using her real name Demi Bennett, started her professional wrestling career on the independent circuit.

May 2014: New Horizon Pro Wrestling Debut

On May 24, 2014, Demi Bennett debuted in New Horizon Pro Wrestling (NHPW) during the opening night of the NHPW Global Conflict, joining the Global Conflict Tournament.

June 2014: Melbourne City Wrestling Debut

On June 14, 2014, Demi Bennett debuted in Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW) at MCW New Horizons, defending the RCW Women's Championship.

June 2015: End of Japan Tour

On June 23, 2015, Demi Bennett ended her tour in Japan, defeating Konami in a match for Reina in Tokyo.

April 2017: Last RCW Match

On April 22, 2017, Demi Bennett wrestled her last RCW match at RCW Strength, successfully defending the title against Kellyanne.

October 2017: NXT Television Debut

On October 25, 2017, Rhea Ripley made her NXT television debut, participating in a battle royal to determine a contender for the vacant NXT Women's Championship at TakeOver: WarGames.

2017: Joins WWE Mae Young Classic

In 2017, Rhea Ripley joined WWE and participated in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament.

August 2018: Inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion

In August 2018, Rhea Ripley became the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion.

2018: Mae Young Classic 2018

In 2018, Rhea Ripley competed in the Mae Young Classic, showcasing a new aggressive attitude and look. She reached the semi-finals.

2018: Joins NXT UK Brand

In 2018, Rhea Ripley joined the NXT UK brand and participated in the tournament to crown the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion.

January 2019: NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool

On January 12, 2019, at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool, Rhea Ripley lost the NXT UK Women's Championship to Toni Storm, ending her reign at 139 days.

August 2019: Returns to NXT

On August 28, 2019, Rhea Ripley made a surprise return to NXT, confronting NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler and turning face.

October 2019: Last NXT UK Match

On October 5, 2019, Rhea Ripley wrestled her last match in the NXT UK brand, defeating Nina Samuels.

2019: NXT Run Begins

In 2019, Rhea Ripley began her run on the NXT brand.

January 2020: Wins NXT Women's Championship

On December 18, 2019 (aired January 2020), Rhea Ripley defeated Shayna Baszler to win the NXT Women's Championship, becoming the first person to have won both the NXT Women's and NXT UK Women's Championships.

February 2020: Confronts Charlotte Flair

On the February 3, 2020 episode of Raw, Rhea Ripley confronted Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair and suggested that Flair should use her Royal Rumble title opportunity to challenge Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania 36.

January 2021: Royal Rumble Appearance

On January 31, 2021, at Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley entered the titular match at number 14 and scored 7 eliminations but was the last competitor eliminated by eventual winner Bianca Belair.

2021: Defends NXT Title at WrestleMania

In 2021, Rhea Ripley became the first NXT member to defend an NXT title at WrestleMania, WWE's flagship event.

May 2022: First Pinfall Loss Since May 2022

In May 2022, Rhea Ripley suffered her first pinfall loss since the beginning of the month.

2022: Main Roster Debut

In 2022, Rhea Ripley was promoted to the main roster on Raw and joined The Judgment Day.

January 2023: Royal Rumble Winner

On January 28, 2023, Rhea Ripley won the women's Royal Rumble match as the first entrant, last eliminating Liv Morgan. She became the fourth wrestler and the first woman to win the Royal Rumble as the first entrant.

January 2024: Retains Title at Day 1

On January 1, 2024, Rhea Ripley defeated Ivy Nile to retain the title.

January 2025: Wins Women's World Championship

On January 6, 2025, at the Raw premiere on Netflix, Rhea Ripley defeated Morgan to win the Women's World Championship for the second time, despite interference from Dominik and Rodriguez, thus ending their feud. Also, on January 25, 2025, at Saturday Night's Main Event, Ripley defeated Jax to retain the title.

January 2026: Wins WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

On January 5, 2026, on Raw, Ripley and Sky defeated The Kabuki Warriors (Sane and Asuka) to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. On January 31, 2026, at Royal Rumble, Ripley participated in the namesake match as entrant #22, eliminating Perez, Chelsea Green and Lash Legend before being eliminated by Rodriguez.