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Wrestling fans will have a new icon to cheer for in the coming years, with a WWE superstar and hall of famer declaring an Aussie star to be the next Hulk Hogan.
Rhea Ripley is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand who has taken the world by storm.
She’s a multiple-time champion and one of the most dominant figures in modern women’s wrestling with over six million followers on Instagram.
Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, stunned the world on Friday when he died aged 71 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home in Florida.
He rose to global fame in the 1980s, becoming the face of WWE and one of wrestling's most iconic figures.
Hogan's charisma, signature leg drop, and catchphrase 'Whatcha gonna do, brother?' helped launch WrestleMania into a worldwide phenomenon.
Wrestling fans have been left mourning after WWE icon Hulk Hogan died of cardiac arrest on Friday AEST
Australian wrestler Rhea Ripley has been annointed the new Hulk Hogan by WWE superstar Kevin Nash
He later reinvented himself as Hollywood Hogan in WCW, leading the influential New World Order (NWO) faction.
Kevin Nash is a former professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer, who was also a founding member of the New World Order.
One of his most notable moments with Hulk Hogan came in 1996 when they joined forces with Scott Hall to form the NWO, turning Hogan heel and revolutionising wrestling storylines.
In May, Nash told the Wrestling News podcast that he saw the same qualities in Ripley as he did in Hogan.
'Rhea, so athletic,' Nash said.
'She's Rhea. Looks like she could, like she could go against probably 50% of the male roster.'
'I saw Hogan work, and I swore Hogan was six nine, because his was, he was just bigger than life, his charisma, everything else.
'It's the same thing with Rhea. I thought Rhea was like a six-foot 185-pound girl, and she's probably five seven, right?
Nash was part of the controversial and villainous NSW movement that included Hogan shockingly turning heel
Nash believes Ripley has the same athleticism and larger-than-life persona that Hogan did
'You know, she's just, but, but on TV, the way she moves, you know, she's just, she comes across as big of a life. Which, which stars do.'
'I'm just a mark for her. She pulls everything off.'
Ripley began her WWE journey in 2017 and quickly gained attention in the Mae Young Classic.
She became the first-ever NXT UK Women’s Champion, making history as WWE’s first female Australian titleholder.
Her dominance continued in NXT, where she captured the Women’s Championship and defended it at WrestleMania 36.
After moving to the main roster, Ripley joined The Judgment Day faction and became a fixture in high-profile storylines.
In 2023, she won the Royal Rumble from the number one entry spot, an unmatched feat in the women’s division.
That same year, she defeated Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39 in a widely praised title match.
Her reign as Women’s World Champion lasted 380 days, tying the record for the longest in WWE history.
Ripley has also held the Raw Women’s and Women’s Tag Team titles, becoming a Triple Crown and Grand Slam Champion.
Her popularity soared beyond wrestling, becoming the most-played female character in WWE 2K25.
She even went viral after beating Conor McGregor in a strength contest during a media event.
In 2024, a shoulder injury forced her to vacate her title, which she announced live on Raw. Despite the setback, Ripley remains one of WWE’s biggest global stars
