Rhea Ripley, the former Women’s World Champion, relinquished her title due to injury, ending her reign of over a year. Despite being a heel, she was one of the most popular performers in WWE. However, when she returns to action, she should not win the title back right away for several reasons.
Firstly, the women’s division has changed since she vacated her title. Lyra Valkyria and Kiana James have joined RAW, and Damage CTRL is on shaky ground. The division is different than how she left it, and she needs to navigate it before immediately winning the title back.
Secondly, there is some messy Judgment Day business to clean up. The group dynamics continue to fluctuate, and Rhea needs to focus on cleaning up her house before she completely focuses on getting the title back.
Thirdly, a new wrinkle to her character could be added by introducing new challenges. Rhea has been The Eradicator of the Judgment Day for the last three years, and a different direction could eventually lead to another title victory in the future.
Lastly, Rhea’s reign eclipsed a year as champion before vacating. Lengthy reigns should be a thing of the past so that others can work in and out of the picture in feuds. A six to nine-month title reign is a good run.
Roman Reigns and Gunther recently had year-long reigns, and Rhea sat atop the throne for a long time and shouldn’t win the title back right away. Long runs can happen every now and then, especially after a long-reigning titleholder is dethroned. However, six to nine months is a good run, and it will turn into a Charlotte Flair situation of taking time off every six months and immediately winning a championship when she returns.
While Rhea Ripley is a top star in WWE, she should not win the title back right away upon her return. There are several reasons why she should take her time and focus on cleaning up her house before she completely focuses on getting the title back.