Rhea Ripley has been removed from the official WWE Night of Champions poster and replaced by Tiffany Stratton, a change that could put the WWE Women’s United States Championship in line for its first premium live event defense less than two weeks before the June 27 event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ripley suffered a knee injury during WWE’s European tour, which was announced on Friday’s SmackDown. WWE has said she is being evaluated to determine how much time she will miss, and removing her from promotional material this close to the event suggests the layoff could be significant.
Ripley had been one of SmackDown’s most prominent stars throughout the spring, winning the Elimination Chamber before defeating Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 41 and defending through the European tour and Clash in Italy.
Stratton won the WWE Women’s United States Championship from Giulia on SmackDown earlier this year. The title has not yet been defended at a premium live event since its creation, meaning a Night of Champions defense — if that is how Stratton’s spot on the card is used — would mark a significant first for the championship.
Night of Champions also features the King and Queen of the Ring finals, with IYO SKY already confirmed for the Queen of the Ring finals.