When the rumors started swirling today that Rhea Ripley was injured, either fighting an ongoing issue with her wrist, or possibly actually injured during an attack by Liv Morgan last week on “WWE Raw,” I immediately got nervous for everyone’s favorite “Mami.” When I learned she was opening the show, my fear was almost confirmed. When showtime rolled around, Ripley’s music hit, and she came out looking utterly unamused and just over everything, with her right arm in a sling, I knew exactly what was going to happen — and it sucked. The Women’s World Champion vacated the title due to whatever injury she’s suffering from. Ripley was on such a roll, just beating Becky Lynch in a pretty good match to open WrestleMania weekend, and now, she said she’ll be on the shelf for months. What. A. Bummer. Even being in the heel Judgment Day faction couldn’t stop Mami from getting over with the fans with her looks and utter domination in the ring.

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It will also be a bummer if it officially comes out that she was injured in last week’s segment with Morgan, because I’m sure that would get Morgan heat with the fans, and possibly backstage, as well. It would be some kind of cruel serendipity, for lack of a better term, that it was Ripley who put Morgan on the shelf, and now it’s the other way around. Of course, it wasn’t either woman’s intention either way, but it’s just lame how the world, especially in professional wrestling, works sometimes.

It was then announced on “Raw” that the new Women’s World Champion will be crowned on next week’s show. Maybe I’m just used to WWE running multiple matches, oftentimes multiple multi-person matches, but that just seems rushed to me. After the Nia Jax promo backstage, I even had written in my notes for the show “does this happen at Backlash?” Well, thankfully I didn’t have to wait long for that answer, at least. As of right now on Monday night immediately following “Raw,” we have no idea just who is going to be in the match next week. My guesses of course would be Morgan and Jax, but if Lynch is taking time off after WrestleMania for her book tour and such, I’m not sure if there would be a third woman involved, or if WWE would just go the route of a traditional match.

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If there’s anything good that comes from Ripley vacating the championship, I hope she rests up, doesn’t require surgery, and gets the treatment she needs on whatever may be injured. My first positive thought about this was also that if she’s out of commission for months, then maybe she’ll have time to get married, or at least plan a good portion of her wedding to AEW’s Buddy Murphy. That’s definitely me reaching for something even resembling a bright side, but she’ll also have an awesome feud with Morgan or whoever has the championship at the time when she gets back.

Written by Daisy Ruth