WWE has confirmed that an interim WWE Women’s Champion will be crowned at SummerSlam 2026.
Rhea Ripley has been on the shelf since retaining her title over Jade Cargill at Clash in Italy, with a knee injury sidelining her in the weeks since. Her SummerSlam status had been up in the air — until tonight’s SmackDown pre-show, when Adam Pearce put the speculation to rest.
Pearce announced that Ripley will not be medically cleared in time for SummerSlam. With the champion unable to compete, WWE will crown an interim titleholder via Ladder Match on the card.
Five qualifying matches will play out over the next two weeks to determine the field.
Whoever climbs the ladder at SummerSlam walks out as interim WWE Women’s Champion — and will defend the belt until Ripley is cleared to return. From there, the two champions will collide in a unification match to determine an undisputed titleholder.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
Due to Rhea Ripley’s injury, Adam Pearce announces that an interim WWE Women's Champion will be crowned in a Ladder Match at #SummerSlam. pic.twitter.com/HtX9k8WYab
— WWE (@WWE) July 17, 2026
BREAKING NEWS: Due to Rhea Ripley’s injury, Adam Pearce has announced that an interim WWE Women's Champion will be crowned at #SummerSlam in a Ladder Match! pic.twitter.com/kNIXz41D1g
— WWE (@WWE) July 17, 2026
