Is Rhea Ripley playing Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre for suckers?

Rhea Ripley may be Dominik Mysterio’s Mami, but she’s quickly becoming The Godmother, WWE’s macabre mob boss version of Marlon Brando’s iconic movie character, cutting deals that superstars can’t refuse. And after her recent proposition to World Champion Seth Rollins on Raw, the title of dirtiest player in the game might be next on her resume.

On Monday’s Raw (Oct. 23), Ripley proposed for Judgment Day to have Rollins’ ailing back in his upcoming title match against Drew McIntyre at Crown Jewel. Rollins laughed the idea off and instead questioned Ripley’s confidence in Damian Priest to successfully convert his Money in the Bank contract into world title glory. He also called Ripley out on her recent negotiations with the Bloodline, as well as with McIntyre.

But Ripley double-downed, emphasizing that alliances can change, and if they joined forces, Priest could redeem his guaranteed title shot on someone else. She also teased that the gothic quartet could lead Rollins to a long, prosperous championship run, much like Roman Reigns. And while Rollins said he didn’t want to be anything like Reigns, Ripley noted that he didn’t say no.

But later that night, during McIntyre’s match with Sami Zayn, Ripley played a pivotal part in helping McIntyre pick up the win after she distracted Zayn long enough for Drew Mac to drill Zayn with a Claymore Kick.

A sales pitch to Rollins, an assist for McIntyre. What’s going on here?

To this longtime viewer, Ripley may be making a strategic move ripped straight from Ric Flair’s dirty playbook that could lead to Rollins and McIntyre looking like a couple of suckers.

In 1992, Flair and his executive consultant, Mr. Perfect, attempted to manipulate “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior before their WWE title fight at SummerSlam. They made it seem like they were offering their services to the highest bidder, leading to further tension between the champ and the challenger. But it was all a ruse, as Flair and Perfect attacked both parties, which weakened Savage, who retained his title but lost it to Flair weeks later.

Ironically, the final scene between Rollins and McIntyre saw them involved in a spirited argument where they both insisted that they didn’t need assistance from Judgment Day to win against each other. The situation mirrored Savage and Warrior’s firm stance that they could defeat each other without any help from Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, perhaps.

But what do you think is going on here, Cagesiders? Is Rhea Ripley making a genuine move to strengthen Judgment Day by adding a prominent name to the group? Will Seth Rollins or Drew McIntyre flip, or are they being set up by Ripley for a Damian Priest title victory at Crown Jewel?

Give us your best guesses in the comments section.