An interim WWE Women’s Champion will be crowned at SummerSlam.
Raw GM Adam Pearce made the announcement shortly before Friday’s episode of SmackDown. He noted that current champion Rhea Ripley was recovering from a torn meniscus. Pearce said that while Ripley is close to returning, she won’t be cleared for SummerSlam. So in the meantime, five women will compete in qualifying matches for a ladder match that will determine the new interim champion in Minneapolis. When Ripley returns, a unification match will take place.
Ripley hasn’t been seen on WWE television in over a month. She last wrestled during the European summer tour on June 4, teaming with Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton in a winning effort against Fatal Influence. In a recent interview, she acknowledged the meniscus tear and noted that her situation was “kind of a little bit up in the air.”
WWE SummerSlam (August 1 & 2)
WWE Championship: CM Punk defends against Cody Rhodes
World Heavyweight title: Roman Reigns defends against Seth Rollins
Hell in a Cell: Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan defends against IYO SKY
Five-way ladder match for interim WWE Women’s Championship: Participants TBA
WWE Intercontinental title: Penta defends against Chad Gable
LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys vs. Jacob Fatu and The Usos (challenge issued)
Bryan Rose
Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.