WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley has officially undergone surgery after months on the sidelines with the knee injury that has kept her out of action since June.

Following her appearance at Clash in Italy, WWE confirmed that Ripley was being evaluated after suffering a knee injury. It was later revealed that she had sustained a minor meniscus tear. Although she initially hoped to avoid going under the knife, Ripley has now confirmed that surgery became unavoidable. The procedure also marks the first operation of her professional wrestling career.

Sharing the news on social media, Ripley reflected on the moment and remained optimistic about her recovery.

"Life update.

After just under 14 year in wrestling and doing sports my entire life… It's caught up to me. Surgery was never a first option for me, but it got to the point that it was needed…

First one down…

Hopefully no more…

I've survived, now it's time to start thriving again so I can get back to what I love to do!

See you all down the road."

Ripley's last televised match came on May 31 at WWE Clash in Italy, where she successfully defended the WWE Women's Championship against Jade Cargill. She wrestled at a handful of WWE live events across Europe before being taken off the road to begin her recovery.

Despite being sidelined, Ripley is still officially recognised as WWE Women's Champion. However, WWE introduced an interim champion during her absence when Chelsea Green captured the interim title in a five way ladder match at SummerSlam.

According to Bryan Alvarez, there have been backstage rumblings that WWE could ultimately strip Ripley of the championship, making Green the undisputed titleholder. Further clarification on the championship picture is expected during this Friday's episode of SmackDown.

Before the injury halted her momentum, Ripley had reportedly been lined up to defend the championship against either Alexa Bliss or Jacy Jayne at SummerSlam. WWE instead opted to prioritise her long term health, making a strong internal push for her to fully recover rather than rushing her back into competition.

At this stage, there is still no confirmed timetable for Ripley's return to the ring.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Rhea Ripley (@rhearipley_wwe)