WWE Star Rhea Ripley Addresses Relationship With AEW's Buddy Matthews

While there may be a "war" between their employers, the bond between Rhea Ripley and Buddy Matthews could not be stronger.

Much like Zelina Vega and Malakai Black (and previously Charlotte Flair and Andrade El Idolo), Ripley and Matthews are currently affiliated with opposing wrestling promotions. As Ripley continues her rise as the Women's World Champion in WWE, Matthews is a regular fixture in AEW's tag team and trios divisions. On a recent episode of "Impaulsive," Ripley addressed the dynamics of her relationship with Matthews, as they are not only in different places of work, but also at different points in their respective careers.

"[Buddy] is happy for me and he also knows how far I can go in this company and how far his limitations are as well ... For him, he's been in WWE, he's been wrestling for maybe over 15 years, and he knows that when he was in WWE, he hit a peak there," Ripley said. "Then over in AEW, he's doing well and it's slowly growing. The House of Black is slowly growing and getting more steam, but he also knows that at the end of the day, the platform that I'm on, this might make a lot of people mad, but it's obviously higher. I feel like he doesn't get threatened by that and he says he doesn't either, so I'll take his word. I trust him, I believe him. He's very comfortable in what he's doing and who I am. He also loves to help me along the way and help me grow, which is what a relationship should be. If I'm winning, he's winning."

Ripley and Matthews, of course, first met under the umbrella of WWE. In 2021, however, Matthews was released from the company. The following year, Matthews officially joined AEW, aligning himself with the aforementioned House of Black stable. Despite their differing work schedules, the relationship between Ripley and Matthews has appeared to only grow deeper, and in August 2023, the couple announced their official engagement.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Impaulsive" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.