Rhea Ripley Called Out By Former Women’s Champion For A Match

Mickie James would relish the opportunity to dethrone WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley.

Former 6-time WWE Women’s Champion James has been absent from the ring since an unsuccessful attempt to pry the IMPACT Knockouts World Championship from Trinity at Bound For Glory on 21st October.

James’ last WWE outing came as a surprise entrant during the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble, an appearance made doubly shocking as she was the reigning IMPACT Knockouts Champion at the time. James lasted 12 minutes in the match before being eliminated by former rival Lita.

During a recent appearance on the Gabby AF podcast, James noted she would only be returning for the 2024 Royal Rumble if she was slated to win the event:

“I’m not coming back at this Rumble unless I’m winning because Hardcore Country at WrestleMania? It prints itself. Because the winner gets a title shot at WrestleMania. If you win the Rumble, you automatically get a title shot.”

James was then asked which WWE Champion she would choose to face and wasted no time in selecting Rhea Ripley:

“Rhea. You know why? Because I’ve never faced her. I never had a chance to wrestle her. I think Mami needs to take on The Mother.”

Potential Rhea Ripley Opponent Currently Taking Time Out

In a recent appearance on GAW TV James revealed that she was currently taking time away from the ring to allow husband Nick Aldis to focus on his new role as SmackDown General Manager:

“Nick just got a hell of an opportunity, and an opportunity that he’s waited a very, very long time to get. Between juggling both of our schedules of me being on the road, I just found myself very stressed out.

I also think he’s having a really awesome opportunity, and I think that I could just sit back for a little because I don’t really have anything else to prove in this world of wrestling.

Are there things that I still want to do, or if it was the right thing or the right moment, or whatever? Sure, I’m down. I’m always down to do good business, wherever that is.

But I also wanted to take a space and just kind of be home and let Nick go out and do his thing as the GM of SmackDown right now, without any stress, without any worry, and knowing that I’m mom-ing at home hard.”

H/T: Fightful for the above transcription.