'I was tryna push the Papi agenda': Rhea Ripley reveals the story about the initial suggestion of her WWE nickname
(Image via WWE)
Rhea Ripley is one of the marquee players of the women's wrestling segment of the Stamford-based promotion. The Australian powerhouse has taken the WWE by storm with her dominating presence and ultimate wrestling prowess.
However, Rhea Ripley has recently shared the backstory of how she got her nickname and what the initial suggestion she made to WWE was for her name.
Ripley was last seen in action against Raquel Rodriguez on WWE RAW's June 23rd edition, where Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez ambushed her. Rhea Ripley suffered a 2-on-1 attack after being called out by Raquel Rodriguez during the segment. However, the reaction she generates every week on RAW is a testament to just how beloved she has become among fans.
Rhea Ripley reveals her initial nickname suggestion to WWE
WWE superstar Rhea Ripley has opened up about the origins of her iconic ring name recently during a podcast with Chris Van Vliet, where she described how the creative process behind the process was not smooth, and how she has faced rejection on making nickname suggestions.
Rhea Ripley
is famously known among her fans and the WWE universe as 'Mami'. However, the WWE icon has revealed that Mami was not the initial name that she had suggested to the company.
During the Insight Podcast, Ripley revealed that she had initially suggested the name Papi instead of Mami to the creative team. But, the recommendation got flatly rejected by the company.
Rhea Ripley: Mami Is ALWAYS On Top, Dirty Dom, Crazy Fans, Fav WrestleMania Moment, Buddy Matthews
Describing the situation, she said, 'No, I was trying to push the Papi agenda. And they were like, 'Yeah, we can't do that.' And then Priest was like, 'What about Mami?' I was like, Okay, guess I'll be Mami. I was really set on the Papi thing.
I was like, I can be a little s**t stirrer, just be Papi this, Papi that. But they're like, we just can't go there. And I was like, 'Okay, I respect that.' Mami's gonna grow on me, though.'
In addition, she has also revealed how she initially hated her husband,
Buddy Matthews
: 'I used to hate him. I think he said this when he was (on Insight). I hated him. I hated him with a passion because I loved Sway, which was a female wrestler, and he was from Melbourne.
He came from the back, and he just punched Sway straight in the face. I was like, sir, how dare you? I don't think I saw him before that, too.'
Mami further stated, 'I think that was my introduction to Matt Silva at the time. And he punched Sway straight in the face. And then Jimmy Scarlet jumped the barricade and chased him away. And then they had a whole feud and all that. But, yeah, I didn't like him.'
(source: Insight with Chris Van Vliet)
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Apart from this, Ripley's now-iconic name, which blends her real first name with a striking surname, has become a symbol of her fierce, powerhouse persona among the fans and WWE universe since she stepped into the WWE ring. It is to be noted that Rhea Ripley will be seen in action against Raquel Rodriguez in a major Street Fight match at the upcoming
Night of Champions
on June 28, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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