"He's my boyfriend" - Rhea Ripley FINALLY breaks silence on licking Dominik Mysterio on WWE TV
A memorable moment on WWE RAW last year featured Rhea Ripley licking Dominik Mysterio's cheek. The Nightmare has now finally revealed the intriguing backstory behind the viral incident.
On the July 22, 2024, edition of The Red Brand, Dirty Dom broke Liv Morgan's heart, declaring his hatred for her. Impressed by his gesture, Mami responded by licking and gently kissing Mysterio's cheek.
Speaking on the INSIGHT podcast, Rhea Ripley explained that her on-screen persona is multifaceted, requiring her to balance toughness with a distinct femininity without becoming overly masculine. The 28-year-old star recalled how Triple H advised her to lick Dominik Mysterio instead of kissing him, a creative choice she felt was ideal for her character.
"My character is so complex, cause I'm like trying to be a bada**, I don't wanna be too feminine, but I don't want to be too masculine, it's like that fine line in the middle. And Hunter is like, 'Well, I wouldn't see you kissing him.' I'm like, 'Okay, that's fair.' Rhea Ripley is too hard around the corners for that. He's like, 'I see you licking him.' I'm like, 'Sadly, I do too,'" Ripley said. [From 42:10 to 42:38]
The former Women's World Champion added:
"There are layers to Rhea; she doesn't know how to express herself, so she does it in a completely different way to hide little bits and pieces. And licking just seemed like the appropriate thing to do, and I was like, 'Yeah, I licked it, so he's mine. I own him, he's mine, he's my boyfriend,'" she added. [From 42:51 to 43:10]
Watch the full interview below:
While Mami licking her Dom Dom went viral, it is important to note that the on-screen romance between Ripley and Mysterio ended at SummerSlam last year when Latino Cheat decided to betray The Eradicator to align with Liv Morgan.
Rhea Ripley says she was set to miss WWE WrestleMania 41
At this year's WrestleMania, The Eradicator faced Bianca Belair and IYO SKY for the Women's World Title. However, The Genius of the SKY defeated her opponents in a Triple Threat Match to retain her championship.
In the same video, Rhea Ripley disclosed that severe back pain leading up to The Showcase of the Immortals had made her doubt her ability to compete in Las Vegas.
"I didn't think that I would be able to wrestle at WrestleMania 41. I didn't think I was going to be able to compete because my back was so bad leading up to it. The two nights beforehand, I got [my masseuse] Matthew to come to my room, and he worked on me the night before the Hall of Fame and the night of the Hall of Fame. I was like, 'I need you to make sure I can walk tomorrow.' And he worked on me those two nights, and it loosened completely just in time for the match."
It will be interesting to see who emerges victorious between Mami and Raquel Rodriguez in their Street Fight set to take place at WWE Night of Champions this weekend in Saudi Arabia.
While using any quote from this article, please credit the INSIGHT podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
