The WWE’s Jade Cargill is on her third road to Wrestlemania currently, and she is on a crash course straight to fan favorite Rhea Ripley. Cargill versus Ripley is a powerhouse of a match-up that pits two of the most physically imposing women on the roster against one another.
What’s different this time around for Cargill is that she isn’t walking into the “show of shows” with the support of the fans. Those fans are firmly behind Ripley for a bevy of reasons. All of those reasons, however, are what make this road to Wrestlemania different for Cargill.
A road less traveled
When it comes to being a champion in pro-wrestling, fans love those who defend their titles. Successful title defenses help legitimize one’s run. Now, truthfully, it isn’t up to “The Storm” to make her matches. None of this is up to her; it’s all a result of how she is being booked. For one reason or another, she just hasn’t been booked to defend her title since she won it back in November. On the flip side, there’s Ripley. Ripley, whose character never backs down, results in the people loving her. With several Mania classics to her name already, the WWE Universe knows that if she is involved in a match at Mania, it’s bound to be good.
So, when a reputation like that precedes you, it sets an expectation. And honestly, the same hasn’t gone for Cargill’s bouts. Her war with Naomi at Wrestlemania 41 certainly had a healthy amount of optimism behind it. The two had some familiarity with one another for about a year. I’m sure that helped make the match so much of what it was in a positive way. From the outside looking in, Cargill versus Ripley involves two alpha women. Up until this point, one has proven much more than the other. That’s part of the appeal to this match.
Jade Cargill has to go at it alone
It also compounds another aspect of why this Wrestlemania season is different for Cargill, as no one from her previous Big 3 stable is by her side. Naomi is on maternity leave, and Bianca Belair is recovering from finger surgery. This moment is all about how Cargill can sink or swim on her own. That inherently comes with pressure, but it isn’t pressure that I believe Cargill will have any trouble with. The current WWE Women’s Champion has met the moment every time one has been set in front of her. How the fans will receive this will make all the difference at Wrestlemania.
But the biggest thing that’s different about Cargill’s road to Wrestlemania this year is the fact that she walks in as the WWE Women’s Champion. She walks in as someone whom the company believes it can build around. She grabs ayes on the marquee and elicits vociferous reactions from the audience. It’s a huge company co-sign when you become the champion. Her feud with Ripley will mean one of two things. The WWE either wants to help add a huge notch on this current run for Cargill. Or they’re looking to freshen the division up with a fan favorite as champion.
Regardless of the path that they ultimately take, the animosity between these two alphas is palpable. Some of it stems from a war of words on X regarding Cargill stating that Ripley gets handed a lot of opportunities. When those sentiments are added to the equation, then it helps the confrontations between these two ladies become must-see. And make no mistake about it, this April, I will be seated for this battle.
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