WWE women's champion Rhea Ripley dropped a bombshell update on Friday night, revealing the knee injury that has sidelined her for over a month is actually a "slight tear" of the meniscus. This isn't just a minor setback, folks, this is a real problem, especially with SummerSlam just around the corner.
The Latest on Mami's Knee
Ripley, speaking during a Kick stream with social media creator Nina Drama, laid out the severity of her injury. A "slight tear" of the meniscus in her knee is no joke, even if it sounds minor. When pressed for a return timeline, she was honest about the uncertainty. "It's getting there. It's getting stronger. I just can't bend it very well," she admitted. She's leaving it up to her body's recovery, saying, "It's kind of a little bit up in the air with how fast my body recovers. ... We'll see how it goes." You can feel the frustration there, right? This champ wants to be in the ring, not on the sidelines. Her last televised match was back on May 31 at Clash in Italy, where she successfully defended her title against Jade Cargill. She did wrestle two more times in early June at live events in France and Portugal, teaming with Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton to beat Fatal Influence both times, but then boom, the injury announcement on SmackDown with no real details until now.SummerSlam and the Championship Crisis
Here's the kicker: SummerSlam is scheduled for August 1 and 2. That's less than a month away, people! This timeline means WWE has to make a tough call very, very soon regarding Ripley's championship reign. If she isn't cleared to compete by SummerSlam, the company might have zero options but to strip her of the WWE Women's Championship. Imagine that, the title vacated and then up for grabs in a match with other talent. The WWE Women's Championship is one of the biggest prizes in the entire company, and you know the creative team wants that title front and center at one of the top premium live events of the year. The clock is ticking, and the stakes couldn't be higher for Rhea Ripley and her title. Every single fan is going to be watching for any update as SummerSlam looms, hoping Mami can make a miraculous return.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.