The season premiere of “WWE Raw” was pretty good. So, I’m alright with hating on a hypothetical.
The Terror Twins were not absent from the star-studded cast of Monday’s Calgary-based episode of “Raw,” but in rare fashion, the two were outnumbered by the sheer numbers of The Judgement Day. When all hope seems to be lost, when The Judgement Day seem to finally have the Terror Twins’ number, in comes “Main Event” Jey Uso, armed with a steel chair. After he wards away the Monday night vultures, Uso kneels down to check on Rhea Ripley.
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Can they go ahead and get a Waffle House booth already? Or, actually, don’t — Ripley has proven time and time again that she does not need a man to be the most over woman in the company. In fact, it could be argued that Ripley is more over than she ever was without a man.
Of course, the Uso and Ripley romance angle is not confirmed, and the two could be interpreted as just close friends. Close friends have each other’s number, borrow each other’s catchphrases, and show up to fight in tag team matches all the time, right? Even if the romance angle is not confirmed, however, it is in poor taste to even attach Ripley to another romantic interest so soon after her disconnection from “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio. Has she not proven how over she is without a romantic partner? Has she not proven how capable she is as a performer without a person to hang on her shoulder?
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While it would be hyperbolic to claim that WWE is reverting to a Diva’s era style of booking (or, heaven forbid, a pre-Diva’s era style of booking), it’s worth criticizing the sheer idea of bringing Ripley into another romance angle. Sure, her run with Mysterio was entertaining, but her brutality then compared to her brutality now is night and day. Without her man, it seems that Ripley is without inhibition as well — she has been absolutely ruthless in the ring, incendiary on the microphone, and overall a more interesting babyface, now that she is not tied down to Mysterio. It seems that Liv Morgan has now become shallowed since she has started genuinely dating Mysterio; who was once a conniving backstabber has now become a petty mistress. All those things considered, it seems counterintuitive — not backwards, but illogical — to pair Ripley with a new in-ring beau.
If Ripley is to be roped into a romantic storyline (again, heaven forbid), then it is a bit strange to pair her with Uso. There is a notable age gap between the two, with both of them in very different stages of their in-ring careers. Their aesthetics clash, and while they have playful chemistry, there have been no compelling displays of affection for each other. They are not compatible, and when one considers Uso’s current target audience (children and preteens), the romance angle becomes more indefensible.
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Again, these are all implications. The implications themselves, however, are worth critiquing.
Written by Angeline Phu
