A number of wrestlers have been injured throughout the year, and Rhea Ripley has been out of action since June due to a torn meniscus. In her absence WWE crowned an interim WWE Women’s Champion, but it was recently reported that there’s been talk of WWE stripping Rhea of the WWE Women’s Championship after she underwent surgery earlier this week.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter is reporting that as things stand it looks like Chelsea Green will be the WWE Women’s Champion, not the interim WWE Women’s Champion due to Rhea Ripley undergoing knee surgery.
According to the report the hope right now is that Rhea Ripley will be able to return in time for the Royal Rumble. WWE recently confirmed that the Royal Rumble will emanate from State Farm Stadium in Arizona on February 27, 2027, so that means Ripley would be out of action for another seven months.
It will be interesting to see how Rhea is booked when she returns as she would have an obvious claim to the WWE Women’s Championship. With The Eradicator now on the shelf until next year it seems that an announce regarding WWE stripping her of the title could be made sooner than later.
Stay tuned for updates.