Rhea Ripley has been one of the top stars in the WWE women’s division for years now, but unfortunately The Eradicator has spent a great deal of time sitting on the sidelines in 2026.
Back in April, Rhea defeated Jade Cargill to become the new WWE Women’s Champion at WrestleMania. However, a few weeks later it was reported that Ripley suffered a torn meniscus at Clash in Italy. She later underwent surgery and she’s been recovering ever since. Fans have been wondering when Rhea Ripley could be getting involved with WWE again, and it seems that she might be back on the road sooner than later.
During a recent Q&A session, WrestleVotes reported that WWE wants Rhea Ripley to be part of the upcoming WrestlePalooza tour in Australia. WrestleVotes said, “All signs indicate she’s part of the traveling roster to Wrestlepalooza. Couldn’t tell you if she will get cleared in time. All we know is she’s getting on a plane and getting to Australia. She’s scheduled to travel.”
As of this writing WWE has yet to make any official announcements regarding Rhea Ripley’s return, but months ago the Wrestling Observer reported that the hope is Ripley will be cleared for in-ring competition by the Royal Rumble in February of 2027.
There’s certainly no shortage when it comes to potential storylines for Ripley. Tiffany Stratton recently cashed in Money in the Bank to become the new WWE Women’s Champion, and it’s been reported that she is expected to hold the title through WrestleMania. Unfortunately Rhea Ripley had just won the WWE Women’s Championship weeks before she was sidelined due to injury, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see her get involved with the title picture once she returns.
Stay tuned for updates.