Revealed: How Aussie WWE superstar Rhea Ripley could have played for the Matildas
But things could have been very different for the 28-year-old Adelaide native.
The super-strong Aussie has become one of the biggest and most recognisable names on the planet but has endured a topsy-turvey 12 months.
After headlining the WWE Women's World Championship in Perth on February 24, 2024, Ripley bested Nia Jax to retain her WWE Women's World Title.
Despite the high of winning such a huge match, Ripley suffered a brutal shoulder injury that forced her out of action for several months.
It was an agonising period for the 28-year-old Adelaide native, who had been working to reach the pinnacle of world wrestling since she was a teenager.
'When you get injured, you learn a lot about yourself, and 2024 was not very kind to me,' she told Channel 9's Wide World of Sports.
Ripley grew up in Glenelg in South Australia, and attended the Henley High School.
It was in 2013 when she began working for Australian wrestling promotion, Riot City Wrestling, finding her way in the sport, before going on to be crowned a two-time RCW Women's Champion.
Ripley, a determined and skilful athlete, also turned her hand to several other sports, including swimming, rugby, netball and soccer.
A known Adelaide FC fan, and had played football for the semi-pro football club Fulham United, who are based in West Beach.
And while the WWE superstar could perhaps have gone down the path of playing pro football, the wrestler has showcased her skills in the past.
While featuring in a video on Juventus' Instagram account, Ripley showcased her impressive skills, performing several keepy-uppies while also holding up a Juventus home jersey.
She did all this while wearing a pair of high-heeled boots.
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A post shared by FANPAGE - Rhea Ripley 🖤💜 (Erica) (@rhearipleyfans)
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Ripley (right) said she was inspired to get into wrestling after watching a match between Triple H and Ric Flair
But after watching the likes of Triple H and Ric Flair step into the ring to do battle, Ripley instead opted for a life in WWE.
'My friends showed me a clip of Triple H versus Ric Flair, and Triple H shoved the screwdriver in Ric Flair's head. Yeah, that got me into wrestling,' she told Sportskeeda.
Ripley, whose real name is Demi Bennett and married fellow WWE star Buddy Matthews last year, signed with WWE in 2017 before going on to compete in the inaugural Mae Young Classic.
She'd go on to be crowned the NXT Women's Champion, the Raw Women's Champion, before going on to star as the Women's World Champion.
Reflecting on her 2024, Ripley admitted she had to battle with her mind to challenge for the World Championship again but had suffered another brutal injury in the process.
'It definitely was a mental struggle and also a physical struggle - training legs every single day was terrible, but I finally came back and I got to go for my world championship again and try and grab that back - but then I broke my orbital bone (eye socket),' she said.
'It was just injuries flying left and right, but I learned a lot about myself in that I can pretty much overcome whatever is in my way, and that's such a strong thing to realise.'
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