NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley def. Bianca Belair

PORTLAND, Ore. — Rhea Ripley may have conquered her latest challenge, but her next obstacle might be the biggest of her career.

Moments after retaining her NXT Women’s Championship with a hard-earned win against Bianca Belair, Ripley was blindsided by an attack from Charlotte Flair — and The Queen finally had an answer for The Nightmare’s challenge, declaring that she would see her at WrestleMania.

Prior to that sequence, Ripley went through a battle that was as hard-hitting as it was fast paced. With two women who are strangers to encountering adversaries capable of matching their strength, it was Belair trying to use her edge in athleticism in order to taste gold for the first time in her career.

While the EST wasn’t able to succeed in that endeavor, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Belair gave Portland a flashbulb-worthy moment with a scintillating senton over the top rope to the outside.

Setting Ripley up for a possible superplex in the match’s closing moments, Belair initially blocked The Nightmare’s attempt at a sunset flip powerbomb counter. But it was Ripley ultimately outmaneuvering The EST, countering with a pump handle into The Riptide to make the victory academic.

Ripley’s moment of triumph was cut short with the arrival of The Queen, who blasted her from behind before grabbing a microphone to officially accept Ripley’s WrestleMania challenge.

But she wasn’t done. Charlotte delivered a Natural Selection and then locked eyes on the NXT Women’s Title — the first championship she ever claimed in WWE — and held it high above her head, perhaps giving us a sneak peek of what we’ll see on The Grandest Stage of Them All.