Rhea Ripley WWE return plans following surgery: “stay patient with me” says star

WWE

Rhea Ripley may be back on her feet, having suffered an injury at Clash in Italy, but her WWE return may be some time off yet.

Suffering a torn meniscus on May 31, Rhea Ripley had to vacate the WWE Women’s Championship, with Chelsea Green now being recognized as her successor.

Footage of Ripley without her leg brace/boot was recently shared on social media, leading to a fan commenting that she was missed, with the star responding:

“Walking and wrestling are very different 😅 learnt how to walk last week, so don’t get too excited, stay patient with me 🥲”

That footage emerged in late September, suggesting that the star is unlikely to be returning in the very near future, but there are plenty of stops for Ripley to make her presence felt:

The looming threat

Without rushing back to in-ring action, assuming she can be cleared to appear in other capacities, Rhea Ripley as a looming threat ahead of her return would be a worthwhile use for the intimidating star.

Whether it is to set up a challenge for Chelsea Green, seek retribution against Jade Cargill as the last star she faced before dropping her title, or cause havoc for another name, Ripley can menace in more ways than just the physical.

Survivor Series: WarGames

The final major WWE PLE of the year, with Wrestlepalooza following on December 12, the card for Survivor Series: WarGames is yet to be confirmed.

With Rhea Ripley competing in the WarGames match that opened last year’s PLE, a return on November 28 would be quite the moment, particularly if she was to join a team that, due to storyline reasons, was already short of a competitor.

Royal Rumble

Every year, the titular Royal Rumble matches are full of surprises, and holding off Ripley’s return until February of next year would be quite the move for WWE.

It would be the perfect moment for a dominant Ripley to return as entrant number 30, clear the ring and stamp her ticket for WrestleMania 43 in April.

Making an impact

Whenever Rhea Ripley makes her return to WWE television, it deserves to be a moment and something that becomes a talking point on a major PLE.

This isn’t to say that she couldn’t make a return on SmackDown, with the aforementioned looming presence being a way to bring her back on regular television. Indeed, WWE has previously played with the trope of an “injured star” appearing, only to reveal they’re medically cleared before laying the proverbial smackdown on their rival.

However her return is made, Rhea Ripley is no doubt going to be a major player on screen once again, potentially pursuing a third WWE Women’s Championship reign from the get-go.

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