IYO SKY believes Rhea Ripley’s current injury layoff, while unquestionably disappointing, may give the WWE star an important opportunity to rest after an especially intense stretch of work.
Ripley is sidelined with a knee injury that required surgery, removing one of WWE’s most prominent women’s division performers from in-ring competition. Before the injury, Ripley had been working as WWE Women’s Champion while also maintaining the kind of schedule that comes with being one of the company’s most recognizable stars across television, premium live events, media appearances, and international commitments.
Speaking about her former tag team partner, SKY said she had watched Ripley’s workload build and sometimes worried that her friend was taking on too much. The two wrestlers previously teamed under the name RHIYO, and SKY pointed to that period as one that gave her a close look at just how busy Ripley had become.
SKY reflects on Ripley’s demanding workload
SKY explained that she and Ripley have not been in constant contact during the recovery period, largely because SKY does not consider herself someone who regularly texts or makes phone calls. Even so, she made clear that she understands why Ripley needs time away from the demands of WWE’s schedule.
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“So, I’m not a text person, I’m not phone call person, so we haven’t talked too much,” SKY said. “But I totally understand what she’s doing and why she needed to take time for now, ’cause she was being too busy, way busier than me. She was all over the world. She had main events, she had championship matches, and she has media interviews.”
For performers at the top of WWE’s card, the work does not stop when a televised match ends. A championship reign often brings increased travel, promotional appearances, interviews, and responsibilities connected to the company’s major events. Ripley’s status as a centerpiece of the women’s division made her a natural part of that broader promotional push, on top of the physical demands of competing at a high level.
SKY recalled Ripley’s involvement around Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia, as an example of the pace her former partner had been maintaining. The international event was one of the occasions when SKY could see firsthand how many obligations Ripley was balancing.
“I was thinking about when we were RHIYO, she had been to Crown Jewel in Australia, Perth, and she was crazy busy,” SKY said. “I was always watching her, and sometimes I think about her, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s overworking,’ something like that.”
That concern adds a personal element to SKY’s reaction to the injury. She is not presenting the injury itself as a positive development; rather, she is acknowledging the difficult reality that a forced absence can also allow an athlete to step back from a relentless routine. In SKY’s view, Ripley needs to use this time to focus on recovery rather than rushing to resume the responsibilities that made her one of WWE’s busiest stars.
A painful absence, but a necessary period of recovery
SKY said Ripley’s injury makes her sad, a sentiment that reflects both their history together and the significance of Ripley’s absence for WWE. Ripley had been a champion and a regular presence in major matches, meaning her removal from the active roster immediately affects the women’s title picture.
“So, as of now, she’s injured, that makes me sad, but definitely she needs time to take time [off],” SKY said. “Definitely she needs.”
Professional wrestling places unusual demands on performers. The job requires physical conditioning, travel, live-event appearances, television work, and the ability to perform through a schedule that can change rapidly. For a wrestler carrying a championship, the visibility and expectations become even greater. SKY’s comments did not identify a single cause for Ripley’s knee injury, and no such connection should be assumed. Her point was instead that Ripley had been operating at a remarkable pace before her recovery became unavoidable.
Ripley is still not close to a return to the ring. She recently told fans that she had only just begun walking again and asked for patience as she progresses through the recovery process. That update underscores the seriousness of the road ahead. Beginning to walk is an important milestone after knee surgery, but it is only one stage in a process that must eventually lead back to ring conditioning, training, and clearance for competition.
There is no confirmed return date in sight. As with any major injury recovery, the priority will be rehabilitation and ensuring Ripley is ready to perform safely before WWE considers putting her back into matches. Her own request for patience suggests she is approaching the process with an understanding that a full return cannot be rushed.
Confidence in Ripley’s eventual comeback
While SKY acknowledged the frustration of seeing Ripley out of action, she expressed confidence in the mindset that has helped make Ripley such a force in WWE. SKY expects Ripley to turn the setback into motivation and return with renewed strength.
“But also I know her personality, she will come back when she becomes much stronger than before,” SKY said.
That belief is rooted in SKY’s familiarity with Ripley rather than a prediction about a timetable. Ripley’s return remains dependent on her recovery from knee surgery, and neither SKY nor Ripley has placed a date on when she will be ready to wrestle again. Still, SKY’s assessment speaks to the competitive personality that Ripley has displayed throughout her WWE career.
For now, the focus is on Ripley getting healthy rather than immediately reclaiming her place at the top of the division. The time away has already changed the championship landscape. Ripley had to relinquish the WWE Women’s Championship because of the injury, and Chelsea Green is now the titleholder.
Losing a championship through injury is difficult for any wrestler, particularly when that title has been central to their identity and momentum. Yet it also creates a natural question for whenever Ripley is medically cleared: what will her path back into the championship picture look like? The answer will depend on the state of the division, the champion at that time, and Ripley’s own readiness to return. At present, those are questions for the future rather than immediate concerns.
RHIYO connection gives SKY a personal perspective
SKY’s comments stand out because they come from someone who has shared the ring, travel, and team dynamic with Ripley. The RHIYO partnership gave fans a memorable pairing of two elite wrestlers, but it also gave SKY a view of the many responsibilities Ripley was taking on outside their direct in-ring work.
Her remarks are ultimately supportive rather than speculative. SKY did not claim to know every detail of Ripley’s medical situation, and she openly said the two have not spoken often during the absence. What she did offer was the perspective of a former partner who had seen Ripley’s schedule up close and recognized that rest was needed.
That distinction matters. Ripley’s knee injury and surgery are the reasons she is currently unable to compete, but SKY’s message is that recovery should be treated as more than simply waiting for an expected return. It is a chance for Ripley to take the necessary time, rebuild physically, and avoid placing the burden of an immediate comeback above her long-term health.
WWE will continue without one of its biggest women’s stars in the short term, with Green holding the championship Ripley was forced to surrender. Meanwhile, Ripley’s supporters will be watching for future recovery updates, knowing that the first steps back toward full mobility are only part of a much longer process.
SKY, for her part, expects her former RHIYO partner to emerge from that process with the same determination that made her a champion in the first place. For now, though, her message is simple: Ripley’s health and time away have to come first.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.