Rhea Ripley’s torn meniscus didn’t just knock her out of SummerSlam—it blew up several matches WWE already had on the board.
WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select says Ripley’s injury forced WWE to change multiple creative plans, including a proposed championship match between Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair.
Tiffany Stratton was also originally set to defend the WWE Women’s United States Championship at SummerSlam in her home state of Minnesota. That plan is now dead, with Stratton instead entering the five-woman ladder match for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship.
The company had been hoping Ripley could recover in time for the August 1 and August 2 event, but there was a strong push backstage for her to stop chasing the deadline and take as much time as needed.
WWE officials were concerned that forcing Ripley back too soon could make the injury worse and create a much bigger problem later in the year. Ripley previously admitted that the meniscus tear occurred in an awkward area and that she still couldn’t bend her knee properly. She also described how badly the injury was limiting even basic movement.
“I tore it in a weird spot, so it’s a little bit up in the air how fast my body recovers. I’ve been out for over a month now. It does feel better, but it still starts to hurt and throb.”
“I can’t get up or bend down really slowly, so I move side to side while crouching. It sucks.”
WWE has now accepted that Ripley won’t be ready for SummerSlam. Instead of stripping her of the championship, the company will crown an interim champion in a ladder match and set up a title unification bout when Ripley returns.
The good news is WWE is hopeful Ripley will be cleared by the fall. The bad news is her injury already forced the company to tear up several SummerSlam plans, including Stratton’s hometown title defense and the proposed Cargill-Flair showdown.
Did WWE make the right call by keeping Rhea Ripley out until she is fully recovered? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
