Rhea Ripley is making progress following knee surgery, but the WWE Women’s Champion has urged fans to be patient as she works towards returning to the ring.

A TikTok video showing Ripley walking comfortably sparked hopes that her comeback could be approaching. However, she stepped into the comments to explain that her recovery still has some way to go.

“Walking and wrestling are very different,” she wrote. “Learnt how to walk last week so don’t get too excited, stay patient with me.”

Ripley has been out of action since June with a torn meniscus and underwent surgery in August. She remains WWE Women’s Champion, with Chelsea Green crowned interim champion after it became clear that surgery was needed.

A match to establish an undisputed champion would be a natural next step when Ripley returns, although no return date has been confirmed.

Her former tag team partner IYO SKY has offered a supportive perspective on the enforced break. Speaking to The Ringer Wrestling Show, SKY said she was pleased her friend was getting time off, having noticed that Ripley was overworking and pushing herself too hard before the injury.

Ripley has also stayed connected to wrestling during her recovery. She and her husband, Buddy Matthews, are coaches at the four-day SPYDA x Bodybiz wrestling masterclass currently taking place in Tampa, Florida. LA Knight visited the training session on Wednesday.