During Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown, commentators Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore announced that the reigning WWE Women’s Champion, Rhea Ripley, is currently out of action due to a knee injury.
They mentioned that Ripley sustained the injury during her match against Jade Cargill at WWE Clash in Italy, where she successfully defended her Women’s Championship. As of now, there is no information about when Ripley will return to the ring or whether she can still appear in non-wrestling segments. Barrett and Tessitore indicated that more updates would be provided once WWE assesses her response to treatment.
This situation had been noticed the previous week during SmackDown in Bologna, Italy, when Ripley appeared wearing a knee brace. While she participated in a segment with Charlotte Flair, Tiffany Stratton, and Cargill, she did not compete in the ring. Later in the show, Cargill and Michin defeated Flair and Stratton in a tag team match.
Following that episode, fan reports from WWE’s European tour suggested that Ripley was having difficulty moving and may have avoided physical contact at times. However, specific details about the nature of her knee injury remain unknown. Ripley had participated in a few live events during the WWE European tour and had held the Women’s Championship for 55 days after winning it from Cargill at WrestleMania 42.
It remains uncertain whether this injury will impact Ripley’s reign as the WWE Women’s Champion, particularly with Flair and Cargill also involved in the title picture.
