We still don’t know why it took so long, but WWE finally got around to putting this out during this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw:
Ripley was a surprise entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match on Jan. 31, and she was put over big in said match, lasting just over 39 minutes on her way to a match high seven eliminations. She was the last wrestler eliminated after a solid back-and-forth with Bianca Belair. After such a strong performance, one would think WWE would want to capitalize quickly.
Instead, she completely disappeared from television and hasn’t been mentioned until this evening.
Of course, the Raw women’s division has been something of a mess, with Asuka, the champion of said division, booked as a supporting character in multiple other stories. Lacey Evans, who was the top contender, is pregnant and will be gone for the next year. Alexa Bliss is tied up with Bray Wyatt.
In short, the division needs some fresh blood.
Ripley can’t get here soon enough.