This past June, Rhea Ripley tore her meniscus during WWE’s European Summer Tour, and despite being off TV for over a month, it doesn’t seem like “Mami” will be returning anytime soon.
On Friday, Ripley shared an update on her injury during an interview at Power Slap 21 in Las Vegas, explaining that her knee is starting to heal, but couldn’t provide a clear timetable for her return to the ring. Following the interview, Dave Meltzer shared the additional details that he’s heard about Ripley’s injury on the “Wrestling Observer Radio.”
“She didn’t give an answer on when she’ll be back. I don’t think she had surgery,” Meltzer said. “She said it wasn’t a bad tear but a weird tear. She can’t bend her knee.”
Ripley’s most recent appearance was on the June 5 edition of “WWE SmackDown” where Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton all challenged her for the WWE Women’s Championship during a promo segment. However, Ripley was seen wearing a knee sleeve during the show and was limping on the way to the ring. Ripley’s last match was just a few days prior at a house show in Portugal, where she was also seen wrestling with the sleeve on her knee. The 29-year-old’s most recent televised match was at Clash In Italy when she retained the WWE Women’s Championship against Cargill.
Ripley’s reign currently sits at 85 days, but it’s yet to be confirmed if WWE has considered having her vacate title, or if the gold will remain around her waist while she recovers from the injury. Moreover, it’s been reported that WWE did make adjustments to its creative plans due to Ripley’s injury, especially with SummerSlam just 19 days away, as it remains unclear whether she will be present at the show.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Wrestling Observer Radio” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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