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Rhea Ripley successfully defended the WWE Women’s Championship at Clash in Italy against Jade Cargill, seemingly putting an end to their rivalry for the time being.
But Ripley’s appearances on “Friday Night SmackDown” have been few and far between. She didn’t appear at Night Champions last month and hasn’t been on the show to defend her on-screen partners in Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss as they deal with Cargill, Michin and B-Fab since June 5.
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Rhea Ripley is in action against Jade Cargill during Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on May 31, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
Ripley was seen at a Power Slap event on Friday and she provided an update on her health, revealing she suffered a slight tear in her meniscus.
“I hurt my knee. I got a slight tear in my meniscus, it’s just healing. It’s getting there. It’s getting stronger. I just can’t bend it very well. Kind of need to bend, guys,” she told content creator Nina Drama.
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Rhea Ripley makes her entrance during Clash in Italy at Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on May 31, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images)
She added that she didn’t have a timeline for her return.
“I tore it in a really weird spot, so it’s kind of a little bit up in the air with just how fast my body recovers. But I’ve been out for probably about a month now. I think it’s been a month and one week,” she said. “It feels better. It still starts to hurt and throb and it gets tired. I can’t get up or bend down really or kind of move side to side while crouching. We’ll see how it goes.”
Ripley is one of the most popular superstars on the WWE roster – men or women.
Rhea Ripley, the WWE Women’s Champion, stands in the ring during Friday Night SmackDown at Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain, on May 29, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)
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She recaptured the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 when she defeated Cargill.
