WWE Announces Plans to Crown New Interim WWE Women's Champion

WWE announced Friday night that an interim Women's Champion will soon be crowned.

Reigning WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley has been sidelined in recent weeks due to a knee injury. She recently provided an update, but the timeframe for her return is still uncertain.

With WWE SummerSlam rapidly approaching, many fans have been wondering how the company will handle the title picture heading into the annual Premium Live Event. Wonder no more.

WWE will crown an interim WWE Women's Champion due to Rhea Ripley's Injury

In a video WWE posted on social media, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce acknowledged Ripley's injury and said that she had been working "tirelessly" with the company's medical team to come back from her torn meniscus. He said that, while Ripley is close to returning, it was his duty to report that she would not be able to compete during the 'Biggest Party of the Summer' in just over two weeks.

With Rhea unable to gain medical clearance in time for SummerSlam, an interim WWE Women's champion will be crowned in a Ladder Match on either Saturday, August 1 or Sunday, August 2. He said that five women will earn spots in the bout in qualifying matches on SmackDown over the next two weeks.

Pearce also confirmed that when Ripley returns, fans will see who the one and only WWE Women's Champion "truly is."

🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨

Due to Rhea Ripley’s injury, Adam Pearce announces that an interim WWE Women's Champion will be crowned in a Ladder Match at #SummerSlam. pic.twitter.com/HtX9k8WYab
— WWE (@WWE) July 17, 2026

Based on Pearce's phrasing, it seems likely that Ripley will face the interim champion in a Title vs. Title match, where the winner will be named the undisputed champion. As of this writing, there is no word on who will compete in the qualifying matches, which will begin on the July 17 episode of WWE SmackDown.

Ripley won the WWE Women's Championship by defeating Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42. She later defended the title against Cargill at Clash in Italy. She has been out of action since the WWE live event on June 3, where she, Charlotte Flair, and Tiffany Stratton beat Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley, Jacy Jayne and Lainey Reid).

The SmackDown Women's Division has several contenders who could compete for the gold. Former champion Cargill will likely have her eyes on the title. Stratton may as well, as she is also a former champion, but she holds the WWE Women's United States Championship. Other candidates may include Chelsea Green, Nia Jax, among others, and WWE could also bring in members of the Raw roster.

The Takedown on SI will continue to monitor the situation and provide more information as it becomes available.

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