Raw GM Adam Pearce is in control of SmackDown tonight, where there is “a ton to address.” One of those issues is the status of WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, who has been out of action since she suffered an injury on WWE’s European tour in early June.
SummerSlam takes place on the weekend of August 1 & 2, which is roughly two weeks from now. WWE needed to find a solution ASAP for what’s going with Ripley’s belt on that show, and they just announced it a short while ago. Instead of forcing Rhea
to vacate her title, WWE will instead crown an interim champion with a ladder match at SummerSlam.
There are no details yet on how many stars will compete in this interim title ladder match. I would expect Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill to be in the mix, so perhaps their long-awaited singles match will be put on hold a while longer. Either way, I’m sure we’ll learn more details about this SummerSlam ladder match during tonight’s (July 17) episode of SmackDown.
Are you surprised that WWE decided to introduce an interim championship instead of stripping Rhea of her belt? What do you think this means about the timeline for Ripley’s return from injury? Let me know your reaction to this breaking news in the comments below, Cagesiders.
