WWE fans are going to have to wait a bit longer for “The Eradicator” Rhea Ripley’s next showdown, as the powerhouse is sidelined with a fractured orbital socket. Originally set to battle Raquel Rodriguez at WWE’s Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ripley’s injury means the match will now be postponed until she’s medically cleared.
The buzz around this match started last month when Rodriguez stormed back onto WWE screens, interrupting Ripley’s title defense against Liv Morgan at WWE Bad Blood. Rodriguez’s attack on Ripley, intended to be a massive chokeslam to seal Ripley’s fate, instead led to a chaotic DQ finish that left fans clamoring for a one-on-one clash. Just last week on WWE Raw, Ripley and Rodriguez had a heated exchange that may have contributed to Ripley’s current injury, with Ripley sustaining a hard headbutt before locking her nemesis into a fierce Prism Trap submission.
As of now, Ripley’s return timeline remains uncertain, but WWE worked her legitimate injury into storylines by staging an ambush on WWE NXT with Morgan and Rodriguez. Whenever she’s back, fans can expect this match to bring even more fire.