Former Women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley shared a brutal injury update on social media and may be on the mend longer than expected.
Ripley has been battling a knee injury since Night of Champions and was forced to vacate her WWE Women’s Championship while she recovers.
Ripley revealed via Instagram on Aug. 7 that she underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in her right knee.
“Surgery was never a first option for me, but it got to the point that it was needed. First one down. Hopefully no more,” she wrote on social media. “I’ve survived. Now it’s time to start thriving again so I can get back to what I love to do!”
Ripley has been sidelined for the past two months. She did not specify a timeline for her return following surgery, but the former world champion may miss the rest of 2026.
WWE Must Reshuffle the Deck Without Rhea Ripley
GettyRhea Ripley was forced to vacate title due to injury
Before Ripley announced that she had surgery, WWE already made plans to navigate her absence.
Following Ripley’s two-month in-ring hiatus after Night of Champions, WWE forced Ripley to vacate the title during her recovery.
“As many of you know, WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley has been spending the last several weeks recovering from a torn meniscus. Throughout her recovery, she’s worked tirelessly with WWE medical. She’s close to returning. But, due to the tricky nature of the injury, it is my unfortunate duty to report that Rhea Ripley will not be able to compete at SummerSlam,” RAW general manager Adam Pearce said July 17.
Pearce added, “With her timetable uncertain, we have decided to crown an interim WWE Women’s Champion. Beginning tonight and over the next two weeks, five women will have the opportunity to win their way into a Ladder Match at SummerSlam. The winner of the Ladder Match becomes the Interim WWE Women’s Champion.”
Chelsea Green was ultimately crowned the Interim WWE Women’s Champion at SummerSlam. There, she defeated Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, Charlotte Flair and Lash Legend in a Ladder Match to secure the title.
Pearce confirmed that Ripley would compete for the title once she is medically cleared. However, with her potentially on the mend for the remainder of the year, the interim world title may be in rotation longer than expected.
Should WWE Have Stripped Rhea Ripley’s Title?
GettyRhea Ripley will remain sidelined through MITB
When Pearce announced that an Interim WWE Women’s Championship was being introduced, he hinted that Ripley would be back soon.
Now that she has undergone surgery, it’s fair to wonder if they should’ve stripped her of the belt entirely.
Such was the case in April 2024, when she missed three months with a shoulder injury.
Plus, the ‘interim’ label takes a bit of luster away from the WWE superstars competing for the coveted title.
It’s understandable that WWE didn’t want to punish Ripley for being injured. However, since she will likely be sidelined for more than three months, it may have been better for the Women’s Division if she vacated the title entirely.
Now, the ‘interim’ label will have to stick into Ripley’s return. Whenever that is.
Still, the WWE Universe is hoping for a speedy return for Ripley.
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