Backstage Update On Rhea Ripley’s Injury, Initial WWE Creative Plans

The injury to Rhea Ripley has forced WWE to rework several SummerSlam plans, with the company making changes across the women’s division as it prepares to crown an Interim WWE Women’s Champion.

At Clash in Italy, Rhea Ripley tore her meniscus as she defended her title against Jade Cargill. While there had been speculation about her return date, she won’t be able to come back before SummerSlam, which led WWE to announce a Five-way Ladder match to crown an interim champion as Ripley recovers.

According to a source speaking to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, there was a “strong internal push” in WWE to allow Ripley to take all the time she needs to recover instead of trying to make it back for SummerSlam. There was concern that returning too soon could have made the injury worse and created bigger issues in the future. WWE remains optimistic that Rhea Ripley could be ready to come back by fall.

In addition, WrestleVotes Radio has learned that Ripley’s injury led WWE to change multiple creative plans. One of them was the originally proposed WWE Women’s Championship match between Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair, which is no longer moving forward. Cargill has already qualified for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match.

The report also notes that WWE Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton’s role at SummerSlam changed because of Ripley’s injury. Stratton had originally been slotted to defend her title at SummerSlam in her home state of Minnesota. Those plans were discarded, and Stratton has now been moved into the Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match.

On this Friday’s SmackDown, Charlotte Flair will take on Nia Jax, with the winner qualifying for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match at SummerSlam.