Add as a preferred source on Google Rhea Ripley’s injury continues to cause major changes to WWE’s plans for SummerSlam, which will take place on August 1 and 2 in Minneapolis.
Ripley has been out of the ring since Clash in Italy on May 31, when she defeated Jade Cargill and retained the WWE Women’s Championship. After that, the champion still appeared at events on WWE’s European tour, but she was already wearing a brace on her leg.
On the June 12 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore announced that Ripley was being evaluated for a knee injury suffered in Italy. Her return date will depend on how she responds to treatment.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE’s original plan was for Ripley to defend the WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam against either Alexa Bliss or Jacy Jayne.
The Wrestling Observer reports Rhea Ripley was originally scheduled to defend the WWE Women's Championship against either Jacy Jayne or Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam before her injury.
— Dirt Sheet Radio (@DirtSheetRadio) July 3, 2026
Ripley has been off of WWE TV since Clash in Italy where its believed she suffered a knee injury pic.twitter.com/nG8YsINQOm
Jayne had been a natural option, especially after Fatal Influence’s debut on the main roster. She faced Ripley on the April 24 episode of SmackDown in a match that ended by disqualification, and the group remained involved in the women’s division in the weeks that followed.
The issue is that the champion’s injury has created a major question mark. According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, the situation led to significant changes not only for Ripley’s plans, but also for several directions in SmackDown’s women’s division.
Because of that, WWE could end up having a SummerSlam without a WWE Women’s Championship defense if Ripley is not cleared in time. So far, the company has not stripped her of the title, which indicates there is still hope for a return before the event.