WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley has revealed that a slight tear in her meniscus is behind her recent absence from television. The Australian star had successfully defended her title against Jade Cargill at Clash in Italy, seemingly ending their rivalry, but has since made only sparse appearances and has not been present on "Friday Night SmackDown" to support her on-screen allies.

Ripley did not feature at Night Champions the previous month and has not been on the show since 5 June, leaving Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss to contend with Cargill, Michin and B-Fab. She was recently spotted at a Power Slap event, where she reportedly gave an update on her condition. Her title defence against Cargill took place at the Inalpi Arena in Torino di Sangro, Italy, on 31 May 2026.