Steve Carrier on March 5, 2026
The online back-and-forth between Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley has been one of the most talked-about rivalries heading into WrestleMania, and now a WWE veteran has weighed in on whether the tension is part of the show — or something more.
While appearing on Busted Open Radio, Natalya addressed the heated exchange that has played out across social media in recent weeks. The veteran star explained that she believes Cargill enjoys leaning into the villain role, and that having polarizing personalities is essential for wrestling storytelling.
“I think Jade loves to be a heel, and whether we love that or hate that… to me, you gotta have bad guys in wrestling because you can’t have a hero without a villain.”
Natalya also pointed out that Ripley carries enormous respect inside WWE’s locker room, which adds another layer to the situation as the two stars continue building toward their showdown.
“Rhea is so respected. She’s respected in our women’s locker room…”
At the same time, Natalya acknowledged that sometimes these rivalries can blur the line between storyline and real-life emotions. While she believes heels are necessary for compelling storytelling, she admitted she has wondered if things may have gone further than planned.
“Jade loves to be a heel and I do think the industry, we need that. Whether it hurts people’s feelings or not, I do think that we need women to be heels in the presence of storylines.”
She then reflected on what it’s like being in the same locker room as Ripley during the chaos of television tapings and wondered whether some of the tension might be genuine.
“Now, were there lines crossed outside of that? I sometimes wonder because I’m in that locker room. I share a locker room with Rhea. When we get to TV, it gets very busy. It gets very hectic, chaotic because we’re all doing a million of our own things.”
Natalya even compared the situation to another recent rivalry that generated headlines both on-screen and behind the scenes. The dynamic reminded her of the tension between Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair, which eventually played out publicly during the Netflix series Unreal.
“So, it makes me wonder like, yeah, this does feel reminiscent of Tiffany vs. Charlotte… which we ended up watching the whole thing go down on Unreal.”
Despite the uncertainty over whether everything is purely storyline, Natalya admitted the drama has done exactly what wrestling rivalries are supposed to do — make people want to see the match.
“It did make me want to watch their match. Now, I am racing to buy a ticket to watch what’s gonna happen between Jade and Rhea.”
Backstage reports have already suggested WWE is pleased with the attention generated by the rivalry, even if some moments raised eyebrows internally. With WrestleMania approaching, the perception of personal tension has only fueled more discussion about what might happen when the two finally collide in the ring.
Do you think Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley’s rivalry is all part of the show, or has it crossed into something real? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you think.
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