Summary

Rhea Ripley shared a lighthearted story from WWE's trip to Australia ahead of Elimination Chamber 2024, recalling that a celebratory shoey with Grayson Waller ended up ruining a pair of brand new Chuck Taylors.

Ripley explained the custom while reflecting on the moment, saying it is something that can happen during a celebration or a night of partying in Australia. In her case, the memory came with one lasting downside, because the shoes still smelled like beer after the on-stage moment.

The anecdote also ties back to Ripley's connection to Chuck Taylors, which has remained part of her broader wrestling identity and even came up again in another recent discussion about whether she could still compete in them. That keeps this more than just a funny travel story, especially with Ripley still positioned as one of WWE's most visible stars and set to address Jade Cargill on WWE SmackDown.

Quote from Rhea Ripley

"I don't know if I'm a pro. I feel like Grayson's the pro. It's definitely like, how do I even explain this? It's something that you do when you're just really drunk. When you get too drunk and you're partying, it definitely happens a lot. But also it's like a celebration as well. Like you hit a celebration with a shoey, and that's what Grayson's kind of been using it for as well. But yeah, you just pour your beer in your shoe and you just drink straight out of it. It doesn't matter if it's the newest shoe or the dirtiest shoe. You just do a shoey. I've literally, I did one on stage in Australia with Grayson and I had my brand new Chucks on. They were so new. Like it was probably the first week of me wearing them, and I was so sad because then after that it just smelled like beer. I was so upset."

What the Australia story says about Ripley and Waller

Ripley and Waller being the two names attached to this memory makes sense, because both were obvious focal points for WWE's Australia visit and both have leaned into that shared home-country connection on camera. The story does not point to a new angle by itself, but it does reinforce how naturally Ripley can shift from intense character work to offbeat personality pieces without losing audience interest.

For WWE, that kind of crossover appeal matters. Ripley remains a headline talent whether the subject is a major storyline or a small anecdote like this one, and Waller's involvement keeps the story tied to a moment many fans already remember from the Elimination Chamber weekend rollout.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.