Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley Set for WWE Raw Women’s Title Match at WrestleMania 37

Rhea Ripley didn’t waste any time making her presence felt on the main roster.

The former NXT UK women’s and NXT women’s champion debuted on Raw on Monday night and immediately challenged Asuka for the Raw women’s title at WrestleMania 37.

WWE subsequently confirmed the two will cross paths at The Showcase of the Immortals.

In terms of kayfabe, this matchup doesn’t make a ton of sense.

Ripley hasn’t stepped inside the ring for a singles match since losing to Raquel Gonzalez at NXT: New Year’s Evil on Jan. 6. She also entered the women’s Royal Rumble match and was the last person eliminated as Bianca Belair prevailed. The 24-year-old is clearly a star in the making and set to be a key member of the women’s division.

Still, Ripley hasn’t done anything of note on Raw, and now she’s getting a shot at the title during the biggest show of the year.

With all of that said, fans won’t complain about Asuka vs. Ripley getting added to the WrestleMania card. It represents something fresh for the Raw women’s division, and there isn’t a more compelling challenger at the moment.

That Ripley could go from defending the NXT women’s title at WrestleMania 36 to competing for the Raw women’s belt one year later shows how quickly she has risen through the ranks and how highly she’s thought of inside the company.