WWE Royal Rumble 2023 Post-Show Media Scrum: Ripley, Bray Wyatt, Cody Rhodes, The Rock Rumors

WWE held a post-show press conference following Saturday’s Royal Rumble 2023 event in San Antonio, Texas.

Some of the notable highlights included:

• Rhea Ripley revealed that she had suffered a dislocated knee injury during the Women’s Royal Rumble match. Ripley stated “I’m obviously beat up. My knees aren’t very good in general. My knee did dislocate for a second, and then it went back in. I’m feeling good now, and because of all my emotions, I’m just excited, so I’m blocking out everything else. If anything, I can smell blood in my nose, and that’s definitely there, but my knee is good.”
• Ripley also praised Liv Morgan for going the distance with her in the match and NXT’s women talent for getting to be involved in the match. Ripley also praised WWE’s Women’s division for its growth over the past few years and felt they can do things just as well as the men for Rumble matches.
• Bray Wyatt stated that he and Alexa Bliss have a special connection in WWE and there is something special in store for their current storyline that he feels will be memorable once it takes place in the future.
• Wyatt also gave his thoughts on the general creativity in today’s era of wrestling and being prideful of being able to do things others have not done before. Wyatt stated “There are some people that like new concepts and people who take risks and things, and then there are people who don’t just because they don’t. It’s a sport to some, it’s a show to others. The beautiful thing about wrestling and this industry is that there is something for everyone. I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I’m willing to take risks and do things that no one has ever done. In my opinion, if you’re not willing to do that then what are you doing here? It’s about leaving a legacy, for me, and I’d do pretty much anything, especially if no one has ever done it before because I know people will notice, and it’s fun for me.”
• On the topic of his interaction with the Undertaker at this past Monday’s RAW 30 show, Wyatt stated that what Undertaker quietly told him is something that he will keep to himself and only share with his children.
• Cody Rhodes gave his thoughts about his working relationship with Triple H since returning to WWE. Rhodes stated “I was very fortunate that, when I came back, I had enough experience that I didn’t always need structure and direction. You guys have seen me without a leash before. I get a little wild. It was great to have that structure, but I’ve had an unbelievable experience, an unbelievable education in wrestling. I’m not meant to do anything else. This is what I do. It was easy then when I came back, and Vince was in charge of that. It’s easy now because, the way I look at it, and I don’t mean this as braggadocious or arrogance, this is something I talked about with one of my kids at the school; if I’m the best, then it doesn’t matter who is showing me where to go and telling me what’s next. If I’m the best, my transaction is simple. These fans pay their money, I make them feel something, and I can do that better than anybody. If I can, then it can be this person or that person. I will say I don’t want to get mushy with it, but Triple H has no reason to be a fan of mine if you really think about it. I smashed the throne, I took a lot of shots, always light-hearted, but I think he knew where I was coming from. I was hungry. He’s the one guy, I don’t think he remembers this, but I’ll never forget it. I talked to him in Gorilla when I was really frustrated doing Stardust. I went to walk out, and he said, ‘rattle the cages.’ That could have meant a lot of things. ‘Go talk to the writers.’ I took it literally and went out and rattled (the cages) as much as possible. I’m so glad that relationship gets to develop now. Clearly, you guys see how I model my presentation and performance. I’m clearly a massive Triple H fan. I’m glad he’s the coach, and I get to play. I want to play quarterback. I owe him a lot for how he handled my dad. I don’t want him to look at me and see my dad. I want him to look at me and see me. Today, I felt like he saw me. That’s very important. My last name has done a lot of things for me, but we’re at a point in my career where my first name has to do those things as well. It’s off to a great start. Let’s see where we go from here.”
• Rhodes also praised Roman Reigns for being the best wrestler currently in the world in his view.
• Rhodes also gave his thoughts about his recent pectoral injury stating that he was very sorry that he got hurt early into his return to the company. He also felt he got to be a Superstar that night at this past year’s Hell in a Cell event over his pectoral injury situation. Rhodes also stated that despite Gunther’s hard chops, he did not suffer a new tear to his repaired pectoral.
• Paul “Triple H” Levesque praised Cody Rhodes for his Men’s Royal Rumble victory and for getting to do something no other person in his wrestling family has done by booking his spot in the main event of a WrestleMania.
• Levesque also praised San Antonio for being great hosts for this year’s event and WWE’s roster for the performance they put on the show. Levesque also confirmed that this year’s event set a new record for largest live gate ever in Royal Rumble history.
• Levesque also praised Gunther for his performance in the Men’s Royal Rumble lasting from being the first person in the match to the runner-up spot in the end. Levesque also praised Ripler for her performance in the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
• On the topic of the rumors of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s participation status for this year’s WrestleMania 39 event, Levesque stated “Apparently he can’t get in shape in time. That’s what all you tell me. He looked pretty jacked, I thought. I saw Black Adam the other day and I didn’t think it was the uniform. He’s incredibly busy. I can say this, as a guy that, we grew up as two young kids fighting each other for the spot and having battles over it and, in the best way, pushing each other. We all were in that time. I know, for him….I was at a large Emmy event a few years ago and there was a poster of him. I think he was about to drop the People’s Elbow on me. He was standing over me in this photo and it’s a hyper-focused incredibly detailed picture. As I’m looking at the picture, I realized he had goosebumps all over him, standing over me. I took a picture of it and sent it to him. I said, ‘You don’t get this in Hollywood, do you?’ It’s a rush, but after the 12th time you’ve done that take, probably not as exciting as the first couple. There is nothing like this, nothing. I know for him, and I know his family and background, there is a part of him that, if he could be here for this and for this WrestleMania in Hollywood, he would turn over every stone and walk through fire to be able to do it, if he could. I just don’t think it’s in the cards. Then again, I don’t know. We always have conversations with him because he loves it so much and we’d love for him to be a part of it. He’s the biggest star in Hollywood and maybe the most recognizable person on the planet. Why wouldn’t we want him to be part of it? This is his home. It’s an open invitation. We don’t lock the door. He has an open invitation to walk through it anytime he wants, but he’s incredibly busy. I think that respect factors both ways. He wouldn’t want to do it unless he could absolutely do it. There is no way he would show up here and half-ass it. There is no way he would show up here and not come in and want to put every single thing he had into it to make it the best it could possibly be. Unless he could do that, it won’t happen. He knows the door is open and when he has the time and availability to do it, he can come in and electrify everybody.”

Full press conference video:

Source: PWInsider.com

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1, 2, 3, & 4