WWE SummerSlam is less than three weeks away, and there is no build surrounding the women’s championship. The reason is that WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley has been out of action for over a month. With each passing day, it looks less and less likely that Ripley will return to action in time to defend her title at the next PLE. If that is indeed the case, the woman known as The Eradicator and Mami may be forced to, and probably should, relinquish the title.
This past Friday, Ripley revealed during an interview at Power Slap 21 that she tore her meniscus back in early June. The injury occurred during a six-woman tag match at a house show on WWE’s European Summer Tour. Here is what Ripley had to say regarding her injury on Friday night.
I hurt my knee. I got like a slight tear in my meniscus. It’s just healing; it’s getting there, it’s getting stronger, but I can’t bend it very well.
The Eradicator went on to state that she does not have a timetable for her recovery time, as she “tore it in a really weird spot.” Additionally, Ripley mentioned that her knee throbs, and even standing on it is challenging. That clearly sounds like someone who will not be ready when SummerSlam kicks off two weeks from Saturday.
In a way, it feels like the Bianca Belair injury. Belair, known as the EST, suffered a broken finger at last year’s WrestleMania during a triple threat match with Ripley and Iyo Sky. These are two completely different injuries, obviously, but potentially similar, if Ripley’s injury is more complicated than initially thought. Belair figured she would only miss a few months of action, but now it has been over a year and counting. Ripley will not suffer the same fate, hopefully, but WWE may have to prepare for the worst.
If the WWE Women’s Championship is vacated, it may be the perfect time to start the three-year-teased rivalry between Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair. The two have competed in four matches, but none have been one-on-one. The delays likely occurred for several reasons, one of which was that Cargill (known as The Storm) needed time to develop inside the ring. Flair also tore her ACL, MCL, and meniscus two months after their initial encounter in 2023, forcing the woman known as The Queen to miss over a year of action.
Now, both women are at completely different points in their careers. Cargill has grown tremendously in both her in-ring skills and character work. Meanwhile, Flair has reinvented herself as one of the most beloved stars in WWE after the initial negative reception upon her return in early 2025.
The Queen went on an impressive tag team title run alongside Alexa Bliss, where the two went from allies of convenience to best friends. While Flair has surely enjoyed that, deep down, she wants that ultimate prize, which is the women’s championship, once again. Cargill, meanwhile, has been itching to regain that title after losing it to Ripley back in April at WrestleMania. A clash between The Queen and The Storm is inevitable, and the match may now be right around the corner.
WWE needs to make this decision soon, and by soon, I mean this coming Friday on SmackDown. Unless Ripley miraculously returns and is cleared for SummerSlam, the title needs to be vacated before the week is over. This is the most coveted prize in the women’s division, and, unfortunately, there is currently zero build around it. The greatest party of the summer, that is SummerSlam, has to have the WWE Women’s Championship involved!
In the spirit of not just handing the two spots for the potentially vacated title to Cargill and Flair, WWE could have two fatal four-way matches this coming Friday. The Storm would be involved in one against, let’s say, Candice LeRae, Kiana James, and Blake Monroe. On the other side, you will have The Queen versus perhaps Guilia, Chelsea Green, and Jacy Jayne. That would be a good way to showcase some rising stars while also involving some established veterans.
Cargill and Flair would, of course, emerge from these bouts, and WWE will have the two following SmackDown episodes to build something. Cargill, along with her faction mates, Michin and B-Fab, could attack Flair one week. Flair could then get revenge the following week, and we would at least have something to build on going into SummerSlam.
As one of, if not the top star in the women’s division, Ripley would likely be back in the title picture upon her return anyway. Will WWE actually take the title off Mami before SummerSlam, though? Perhaps we will know by the end of the week.
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