“I hate what you’ve become,” Rhea Ripley’s former friend turned rival vents her frustration with the Judgment Day member 

Raquel Rodriguez sent a message to Rhea Ripley, ahead of their upcoming match at Payback.

“I hate what you’ve become,” Rhea Ripley’s former friend turned rival vents her frustration with the Judgment Day member 

Rhea Ripley (via Twitter)

Rhea Ripley is set for her first title defense on a premium live event since Night of Champions in May. She will be facing former NXT ally, Raquel Rodriguez for the Women’s World Championship at the upcoming Payback. Ripley has been hovering over Rodriguez for a while, costing her tag titles and injuring her. Recently, the 32-year-old sent a message to The Eradicator.

Raquel was medically cleared after being attacked by the Judgment Day member a month ago. Furthermore, her tag team partner, Liv Morgan, also fell victim to a vicious attack by Ripley. Subsequently, this led to the former being sidelined with a shoulder injury. Therefore, given their past history, this feud has turned personal as well.

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“I hate what you’ve become Rhea Ripley. Plain and simple,” Rodriguez captioned her tweet. Clearly, this was a reference to how Rhea Ripley has significantly changed since their NXT days. She further wrote, “At Payback, es tiempo que conozca su creador,” meaning that the World Champion will meet her maker at the premium live event.

Raquel Rodriguez attacked Rhea Ripley during this week’s Monday Night RAW before announcing she was cleared to compete. Moreover, she vowed to take her opponent’s title at Payback. The pair last squared off against each other at NXT’s New Year’s Evil, two years ago, in which Raquel emerged victorious.

Related: Braun Strowman spotted with new girl after unfollowing girlfriend Raquel Rodriguez, sparks breakup rumors

Raquel Rodriguez returned to NXT: Heatwave by attacking Rhea Ripley

Raquel Rodriguez at NXT: Heatwave
Raquel Rodriguez at NXT: Heatwave(via Twitter)

The NXT: Heatwave special episode aired last Tuesday night. One of the bouts saw the Judgment Day duo of Rhea Ripley and North American Champion Dominik Mysterio take on Dragon Lee and Lara Valkyria. During the match, Raquel Rodriguez would appear on NXT for the first time since her main roster debut.

She distracted the Women’s World Champion, which led to her team losing. In a post-show interview, Raquel stated, “I wanted to remind Rhea who she’s messing with.” The 32-year-old gave The Eradicator a warning before their upcoming grudge battle at Payback.

Previously, reports suggested that their match would take place at SummerSlam. However, due to time constraints, it was postponed to the next premium live event. There has been a lot of criticism of Rhea Ripley’s run as champion since WrestleMania. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how her next title defense plays out.

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