Rhea Ripley’s injury may have forced WWE to rip up a pretty important SummerSlam plan.
Ripley being pulled from WWE’s Night of Champions advertising already had fans asking questions, especially since she was originally featured on the poster before Tiffany Stratton took her spot. That change looked a lot less random once reports surfaced that WWE was waiting to see how serious Ripley’s knee injury really was.
Now there’s a new update on what WWE actually had planned for Ripley before everything got thrown into question. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the plan for Ripley at SummerSlam before her injury was for her to defend the WWE Women’s Championship against either Alexa Bliss or Jacy Jayne.
The issue now is Ripley’s status. WrestleVotes previously reported that WWE was still waiting to learn how long she could be out and whether SummerSlam would be affected.
“They did announce Friday night she sustained an injury. From what we’re told, they’re still waiting to figure out how long this will be and if she will miss SummerSlam.”
That explains why WWE has been shifting plans around the women’s division. Ripley is not just another champion they can quietly replace on the card. She is one of the biggest stars in the company, and if she is forced to miss time, the entire title picture changes fast.
WrestleVotes also noted that other women’s division plans could be affected, including a possible Charlotte Flair vs. Jade Cargill match.
“If she misses SummerSlam, a lot of plans change. We reported how at one point Jade Cargill vs. Charlotte Flair was penciled in. I believe that match gets changed if Rhea Ripley is affected by the injury.”
Ripley last wrestled at WWE Clash in Italy, where she retained her title against Jade Cargill. She also worked live events during WWE’s European tour before SmackDown revealed she was being evaluated for the knee issue.
For now, WWE has not announced a return timetable for Ripley. The original SummerSlam idea was clearly still centered around her title reign, but whether she gets to defend against Alexa Bliss, Jacy Jayne, or anyone else now depends on how her recovery plays out.
Do you think WWE should wait for Rhea Ripley if she can make SummerSlam, or move the title picture forward without her? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
