SUMMARY
- WWE legend Shawn Michaels does not think Charlotte Flair is the new Chyna.
- The Hall of Famer has compared a current champion to the late legendary female wrestler.
WWE’s women’s division has achieved new heights in the last decade, owing to names like Rhea Ripley, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and many others. However, it was the WWE legend Chyna whose historic contributions paved the way for the modern era of women’s wrestling.
Chyna is still fondly remembered by the pro-wrestling fans to this day. A pioneer of women’s wrestling, Chyna’s larger-than-life personality and massive accolades helped her stand out in a male-dominated era of WWE.
Honestly besides a Men’s Rumble appearance, I’d say Rhea Ripley already has surpassed anything Chyna accomplished in WWE https://t.co/ftb1JSBVH7 pic.twitter.com/4DpC9YS0kY
— Slappa Wrestling (@Slappa_WWE) April 22, 2024
When it comes to the modern age of WWE, not many female superstars can stake their claim to greatness more than Charlotte Flair. Having spent about a decade in WWE, The Queen’s impact on women’s wrestling is similar to that of Chyna. She is the only female wrestler to have won 17 championships in WWE.
While a case could be made for Charlotte Flair being the new Chyna, Shawn Michaels has bestowed that moniker upon one of his NXT students instead. Michaels, who participated in several iconic moments alongside Chyna, recently drew a comparison between the late WWE legend and Rhea Ripley.
Rhea Ripley will soon surpass Chyna, according to Shawn Michaels
In an interview conducted by Sportskeeda Wrestling in July 2023, The Heartbreak Kid opened up about the parallels drawn between Rhea Ripley and Chyna by the WWE Universe. Michaels referred to her late friend as a rare breed of professional wrestlers for revolutionizing the way women’s wrestling was perceived during her time.
In the same interview, The Showstopper expressed his pleasure about the growth of Rhea Ripley as a performer. Showering praise on Ms. Nightmare, Michaels felt that her student would soon surpass Chyna’s achievements.
He added, “When she started out with us in NXT UK, I’m just telling you, you could see her grow, you could see her confidence grow, watch her evolve and just turn into a fantastic performer, and then came over here to NXT and continued that ascension. So I’m not surprised one bit by her success on the main roster, and she’s still so very young. She’s going to surpass certainly, respectfully, anything that Chyna accomplished, but I don’t think that will ever take away from what Joanie contributed to the WWE and this sport in general.”
With multiple world championships to her name so early in her career, Rhea Ripley is truly on her way to becoming the next icon of women’s wrestling. If The Nightmare manages to sustain her massive popularity amongst the casual audience, she will certainly end up fulfilling Michaels’ prophecy.
Rhea Ripley feels blessed to be considered the new Chyna
Rhea Ripley has expressed gratitude for her comparison with Chyna on several occasions in the past. In an interview with West Sport, The Eradicator stated that her constant duels with male WWE stars further push her image as the next Chyna.
Speaking about her comparisons with Chyna, Ripley added, “I don’t think getting compared to Chyna is a bad thing at all. I think it’s amazing. I’m actually very proud of that fact. The only problem that I’m having at the moment is that, I’ve done all these amazing things with men that have been so good to me, and let me do these things. While I was doing that, the women’s division was suffering a little bit, and not getting built the right way.”
While The Eradicator is privileged to be considered the next Chyna, she is more determined to be remembered as the first-ever Rhea Ripley. Do you think Mami has surpassed Chyna’s accomplishments or does she still have a long way to go? Sound off in the comments below.