WWE has confirmed that Rhea Ripley will not be able to defend the WWE Women’s title at SummerSlam 2026 as she continues to recover from a knee injury. Instead, an interim champion will be crowned in a five-woman Ladder Match at SummerSlam.
Instead of taking the title away from Ripley, WWE will continue to recognize her as the official champion while an interim champion is crowned.
Adam Pearce announces Interim WWE Women’s Title plans for SummerSlam
The announcement came in a video released before the July 17 episode of SmackDown. Acting SmackDown General Manager Adam Pearce gave an update on Rhea Ripley’s condition and explained WWE’s plan for the championship.
Pearce said Ripley has been working hard with WWE’s medical team while recovering from a torn meniscus. She has made good progress and is getting close to returning. However, she won’t be medically cleared in time for SummerSlam on August 1 and 2.
Because of that, WWE has decided to crown an interim Women’s Champion. The winner will be decided in a five-woman Ladder Match, with the participants earning their spots through qualifying matches starting on this week’s SmackDown.
Jade Cargill is expected to be one of the favorites after challenging Ripley for the title at both WrestleMania 42 and Clash in Italy. Tiffany Stratton could also be in the mix, although she is already the WWE Women’s US Champion. Other names like Chelsea Green and Nia Jax are also in the mix.
Rhea Ripley suffered the injury on May 31, 2026, during her Women’s Championship match against Jade Cargill at Clash in Italy. She later revealed that she had a small tear in the meniscus of her right knee.
Ripley explained that the injury was in an awkward spot, making recovery more difficult than expected. She said she couldn’t bend her knee properly or squat without pain.
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