Rhea Ripley’s first surgery was successful

WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley looks on during SmackDown at Unipol Arena on June 5, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. | Photo by Andrew Timms/WWE via Getty Images When WWE created an interim Women’s title, some questioned why. Lineal champ Rhea Ripley’s been out since June with what she revealed last month was a “slight tear” of her meniscus. Minor meniscus tears that heal with rest or require minimal surgery often heal within a month or two, which was what brought the questions about why WWE was bothering to crown Chelsea Green interim champ at SummerSlam if Ripley was due back soon. But at the same time, Rhea told us that “slight tear” of her knee cartilage was in “a really weird spot” which put her recovery timeline “a little bit up in the air”. And today (Aug. 6), the champ shared that she recently had surgery to repair her meniscus. Life update. After just under 14 year in wrestling and doing sports my entire life… It’s caught up to me. Surgery was never a first option for me, but it go