I’ve never been a fan of watching wrestling. However, because of popular culture, I know some wrestlers, and I’m aware that some rock and metal bands, like Motörhead, have participated in the show for opening and wrestlers’ entrance songs.
Still, it never caught my attention until the connection between Rhea Ripley and Motionless In White (currently one of my favorite bands).
Who is Rhea Ripley?
Rhea Ripley (Demi Bennett) is an Australian WWE wrestler.
Bennett’s stage name is a mix between Rhea (a Greek goddess) and Ripley because of the Alien film.
On April 6th, 2024 she defended her Women’s World Champion’s title against Becky Lynch but then had to relinquish the title due to an injury.
What is her link to music?
Her love of music began at school, when she used to go to music shows with her family and got into the mosh pits. Later, Rhea became interested in the WWE and loved the opening song by Papa Roach.
She is a metalhead. One of her favorite bands is Motionless In White, which made her entrance song Demon In Your Dreams and performed it live for her entrance at WrestleMania XL, on April 6th, 2024.
Rhea likes to incorporate things from her favorite bands into her character, like the Mitch Lucker (Suicide Silence’s late singer) stomp to her entrance, as a tribute to him and because it looked cool. It gets her fired up to come up for her fights.
Her look has been evolving into the badass female wrestler she is now, who wears makeup and clothes inspired by Motionless In White’s singer, Chris Motionless.
There’s been a joke and meme, for a long time, that Rhea and Chris are the same person since no one has seen them together at the same time, or in the same place. But that was proved untrue (lol) when the band played her song at the WWE to her entrance.
Rhea and Chris are fans of each other, and he has said that she attracts people who like metal and gothic music or style to the WWE audience. A public that is not always into watching that sport.
For me, WWE and music, especially metal, have some similarities in the way the show is presented. Fireworks, lights, loud music, an over-the-top spectacle.
If things like Rhea’s grand entrance, with her favorite band singing to her and hyping her up to her fight, bring kids and other people who wouldn’t normally get interested in music to become fans, I find it amazing.