Rhea Ripley and her husband Buddy Matthews’ date night was interrupted by a WWE star.
Ripley and AEW star Matthews are a married couple in professional wrestling who met while working for WWE. They started dating publicly in 2022, got engaged in August 2023, and have been married since June 2024. Ripley continues to wrestle in WWE, whereas Matthews has left the company and now wrestles at AEW.
Despite working for different promotions, the couple is known for being very supportive of each other’s careers. They share glimpses of their life very often, including workouts and celebratory posts on social media.
Recently, the Eradicator shared a reel on her Instagram account, where the couple can be seen taking a stroll while talking and gazing into each other’s eyes. This moment was interrupted by the SmackDown backstage interviewer, Cathy Kelley. She quickly grabbed Ripley’s arm and jumped out of excitement, while giving an awkward look to Murphy.
The caption of the reel read,
did someone say date night??!”
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The third wheel by Kelley and their reactions following the interaction have a long history. Recently, Ripley made a shocking return to NXT along with Stephanie Vaquer and Tiffany Stratton. Check that here.
WWE Star Cathy Kelley’s Crush on Rhea Ripley
This playful interruption wasn’t all that surprising given the long-running history between Ripley and Kelley. The two have built a fun, lighthearted rapport both on and off WWE programming. Over the years, they’ve openly admired one another on social media, often leaving cheeky comments under each other’s posts.
Fans have especially loved how the two jokingly refer to being ‘in love’ with one another. Kelley has previously called Ripley her ‘WWE crush,’ while Ripley has teased back with the same energy, creating an inside joke that their followers always pick up on. This ongoing banter has turned into a fan-favorite dynamic, with many considering Matthews the ultimate third wheel in Ripley’s love story with Cathy Kelley.
Her interactions with Kelley reveal a playful, lighthearted side of Ripley, other than her Eradicator persona. Meanwhile, Kelley embraces her roles as a supportive, sometimes mischievous, presence on the weekly shows.