Rhea Ripley is heading back inside the steel this Saturday. However, it’s not just the physical punishment of the WWE Elimination Chamber she’s concerned with.
Appearing on ESPN SportsCenter ahead of the February 28 event at the United Center in Chicago, Ripley revealed that no one warned her about the mental battle that she has to overcome while locked inside a Chamber pod.
While the brutality of the structure is obvious, the waiting game caught her off guard.
“Just how much your anxiety spikes being stuck in one of those pods,” Ripley said. “You go into the match and you know it’s going to be brutal… the steel’s not gonna feel good on your body… But what you don’t take into consideration is, if you’re not the first two, you don’t know how long you’re gonna be standing in that pod for.”
Ripley explained that the uncertainty creates a unique mental rollercoaster. “You have so much time to think and like rev yourself up, and then doubt yourself and talk yourself out of it, and then rev yourself back up. It’s craziness just standing there,” she said.
Rhea Ripley Prepares for Second WWE Elimination Chamber Match
Despite the claustrophobic build-up, Ripley insists the chaos is part of the appeal. “That’s all part of the game… I love Elimination Chamber. I’ve only been in one and I had the time of my life… as soon as you get let out, it’s time to wreak havoc.”
Ripley’s first Chamber appearance came in 2022, where she entered from a pod and was the penultimate elimination. She qualified for this year’s match by defeating Lyra Valkyria and Ivy Nile in a triple-threat bout on the February 10 episode of Raw.
She now joins Tiffany Stratton, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Kiana James and one of IYO SKY, Kairi Sane, or Raquel Rodriguez. The winner earns a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 42.
For Ripley, the steel isn’t the only opponent. Sometimes the toughest fight happens before the pod door even opens.
READ MORE: Liv Morgan Reveals The Real Reason She Cried During WWE RAW Promo
