Summary

Zena Sterling says the one match she would most like to have in WWE is against Rhea Ripley.

Sterling recently pointed to Ripley as both an inspiration and a wrestler she feels closely connected to, citing their similar ages when they arrived at the Performance Center and the way Ripley developed into one of the division's biggest stars. Sterling said that shared path is part of what makes the idea of facing Ripley so appealing.

The matchup would place Sterling opposite one of the most established names in the women's division, at a time when Ripley is still being framed as a major singles player on WWE television. That was underlined again recently when Ripley discussed the pressure surrounding her WrestleMania 42 match with Jade Cargill.

Quote from Zena Sterling

"Yes, I feel like this might be a common answer, but my dream match would be with Rhea Ripley. She’s always been an inspiration of mine because she got to the Performance Center when she was 19, just like me, and she was once shot as well, and I feel like we just connect on so many levels and I see myself in her. So it’s like, you know, her development and where she is now over time as I develop that same way and get better, I feel like that could be a cool little match and yeah, let’s say Rhea Ripley has the the championship and you guys go face to face at WrestleMania."

What Rhea Ripley represents for Zena Sterling

Ripley is the kind of opponent that instantly tells fans where a younger wrestler believes she can go. By naming her, Sterling is not just picking a popular dream match, she is pointing to the level of presence, credibility and championship positioning she wants to reach in WWE.

If Sterling keeps developing on that track, a future match with Ripley would be an easy story for WWE to tell because the comparison already exists in Sterling's own words. For now, the comment works as a clear statement of ambition from a talent who sees Ripley as the standard she wants to chase.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.