“I love her so much”- Rhea Ripley says she misses her former WWE rival

Rhea Ripley has found new allies in WWE, as the Women’s World Champion recently teamed up with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. Despite the new union, Mami recently noted that she still misses one of her real-life close friends, Bianca Belair.

Bianca Belair has not competed in the WWE ring since her triple-threat match against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky at WrestleMania 41. The EST suffered a finger injury during the match, which kept her on the shelf for many months. She made her return at WrestleMania 42, where she announced that she’s pregnant.

During her chat with Stephanie McMahon on the What’s Your Story? podcast, Rhea Ripley stated that she really misses Bianca Belair and is mad that the EST is not around.

“I miss her. She’s one of my favorites here. She’s one of the most genuine people I know, I love her so much. I’m so mad that she hasn’t been around, I’m now on SmackDown too, I’m like ‘Where’s my Bianca?’”

Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair are long-time WWE rivals

While Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair are close friends in real life, the duo have a long history in WWE that goes back to their NXT days. The two stood across the ring from each other for the first time in 2017. They have collided inside the squared circle numerous times since then, and many believe that an encounter between them is worthy of headlining a WrestleMania.

Ripley and Bianca, along with Iyo Sky, stole the show at WrestleMania 41, where they put on an enthralling match for the Women’s World Champion. Sadly, that turned out to be Belair’s last outing to the squared circle, as she was sidelined due to a finger injury after the match. The EST is now pregnant with her first child and unlikely to return to action for the foreseeable future.

Rhea Ripley, meanwhile, is back at the top as she defeated Jade Cargill to win the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42. The two powerhouses will once again collide for the title at Clash in Italy. They also clashed horns at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Mami teamed up with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss to take on Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin. Jade pinned Rhea at the event to gain momentum ahead of their WWE Women’s title match.