Rhea Ripley is apparently injured and will no longer face Bianca Belair at WWE’s next Money in the Bank premium live event. The news that Ripley would be pulled from the Raw Women’s Championship match broke only minutes before Monday Night Raw via a show rundown obtained by Fightful Select. At the very start of the broadcast, Belair confirmed the news but did not elaborate on exactly what was going on with her intended adversary.
“Now, I really wish that I wasn’t the one who had to come out here and break this news to y’all,” Belair told the live crowd at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. “Rhea will not be medically cleared in time to compete. So, this match isn’t happening yet.”
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Belair noted she’d be down to face the Judgement Day member at a later date, noting, “I will be right here waiting, ready.” She then revealed her next opponent would be decided by a fatal five-way match featuring Becky Lynch, Asuka, Carmella, Alexa Bliss and Liv Morgan. The match in question immediately followed Belair’s promo, with Carmella pinning Liv Morgan to become the new No. 1 contender for the Raw Women’s Championship. Belair and Carmella will face off in a singles match at Money at the Bank, which will take place on July 2 at Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Ripley, whose real name is Demi Bennett, has not commented on the situation. As with most things WWE, there is the possibility that the medical status is part of a storyline. However, the sudden nature of the reveal and the rescheduling of such a high-profile match leads us to believe this is a real-life injury of some sort.
This Money in the Bank card change is especially disappointing news for Ripley, being as she’s in the middle of a big push. As a member of the new cult faction The Judgement Day, she set her sights on Belair just one week ago with the support of allies Finn Balor and Damien Priest. Hopefully, Ripley will be on the mend soon and be able to challenge Belair (or whoever is holding the Raw Women’s Championship) at SummerSlam, which will be held at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on July 30.
