Judgment Day member, former AEW star & more - 4 WWE Superstars who could benefit from Rhea Ripley's injury layoff
Rhea Ripley sadly relinquished the WWE Women's World Championship on the April 15, 2024, episode of Monday Night RAW due to injury. The Eradicator suffered undisclosed damage from Liv Morgan's backstage attack last week, and will now be on the shelf for a few months. Fans will sorely miss her, but her misfortune could prove to be a blessing in disguise for some on the roster.
The vacuum left by The Nightmare for the next few months will need to be filled, meaning certain stars could step up to the plate. Ripley's absence could also translate into an unexpected growth opportunity for some Judgment Day members. The show must go on, and until Mami returns, some performers could enjoy unintentional benefits from her unfortunate absence.
Here are four WWE Superstars who could benefit from Rhea Ripley's injury layoff:
#4: Dominik Mysterio could outgrow Rhea Ripley's shadow in the latter's absence!
Joining forces with Rhea Ripley has been one of the biggest boosts to Dominik Mysterio's WWE career. The Eradicator "making a man" out of Dirty Dom saved the latter from his legendary father's shadow, giving his character some much-needed personality beyond being Rey Mysterio's son. However, the second-generation star may have been cast into another shadow.
The former North American champion has effectively been Ripley's sidekick for a year and a half, an arrangement that has helped both. It's more than likely that there was a plan in place for him to step out of that role and grow into a top-level threat down the road, but Ripley's injury may accelerate that timeline.
Without Mami to lean on, Dominik has to sink or swim, and he could lose his incredible momentum if he doesn't step up. If he rises to the challenge, though, her absence could prove to be the biggest catalyst for his growth.
#3: Rising WWE stars like Jade Cargill could fill the void left by Rhea Ripley!
Rhea Ripley's sudden absence from WWE leaves a gaping vacuum atop the women's division for the next few months. The company has a lot of talent already popular enough to fill the void, such as Ripley's WrestleMania XL opponent Becky Lynch, so her absence will hardly be world-ending. However, there could be an even better fix for this sudden deficit: elevating an upcoming star to her spot.
While Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair are more than capable of holding down the fort, pushing the likes of Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton holds more upside. With the draft coming up, Cargill and Stratton could find themselves on the red brand fighting for the Women's World Title with Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, and other stars on the cusp of greatness.
#2: Liv Morgan is already a bigger heel on WWE RAW for putting Rhea Ripley out of action!
While pushing an upcoming star could potentially create a dream return feud for Rhea Ripley, The Eradicator already has a red-hot rivalry loaded as she leaves. Liv Morgan not only shares history with The Nightmare as a former partner-turned-rival but is also the woman who injured the latter.
This has garnered Morgan considerable heat with the audience and could make her a much bigger star in Ripley's absence. She could thus emulate Drew McIntyre, who is enjoying arguably the most momentum of his career, by capitalizing on the fact that he injured CM Punk. The storyline could hugely elevate the former SmackDown Women's Champion.
#1: Rhea Ripley could be the biggest beneficiary of her absence from WWE!
Despite being a member of arguably WWE's top heel faction, Rhea Ripley has been one of the most popular stars in the company for a while. This was a headache waiting to happen for Triple H and Co., posing a looming conundrum regarding how and when to turn her babyface.
An eventual turn would launch Ripley into the next level of superstardom and would thus need to be done right for maximum effect. The Eradicator's injury may have solved this timing issue for the company, putting her turn on a silver platter for the creative team. Mami is now set to return from her injury-enforced absence as arguably the biggest babyface in the company, taking her to the next level.
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and this rings true in WWE. Just like The Game himself in 2002, John Cena in 2008, and Cody Rhodes in 2023, Rhea Ripley could end up as a beneficiary of her long injury layoff. Perhaps, the biggest!