Rhea Ripley Breaks Silence on Painful Nose Injury, Sends Message to Fans
Rhea Ripley stormed a Japan supershow and went full Bloody Ripley, wreaking havoc on the home turf of former Damage CTRL standouts IYO SKY, Asuka, and Kairi Sane — then dropped the proof in a jaw-dropping X clip.
I know, the calendar says spooky season, but Rhea Ripley just turned it into bloody season. She hit WWE supershows in Japan and Australia, left Tokyo with a busted nose, shoved off a familiar ex in Perth, and meanwhile the Women’s World title scene got even messier on Raw. Here’s what actually happened and what it probably means.
Japan: Rhea walks out with cotton in her nose and still thanks the crowd
Rhea Ripley took a shot to the face during a Fatal Four Way for the Women’s World Title in Japan, the home turf of former Damage CTRL trio IYO SKY, Asuka, and Kairi Sane. The match featured IYO, Raquel Rodriguez, and reigning champ Stephanie Vaquer, and ended with Vaquer holding onto the belt.
Post-match, Rhea posted a video on X on October 18 with visible gauze plugging her nose. She was clearly hurting, but still sent a love note to the crowd:
'Thank you Japan, I still love you!'
If you’re wondering, yes, that was a supershow — fun for the live crowd, not a TV-plot reset button.
Perth: Dom shoots his shot, Punk drops him, Rhea counts the crowd-pleaser
Before Japan, WWE ran a supershow in Perth where Rhea teamed with IYO SKY to beat The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane). Same card, Dominik Mysterio defended the Intercontinental Championship against CM Punk.
After that match, Dominik tried to slide back into Mami’s good graces, arms open for a hug. Rhea shoved him, he stumbled backward over IYO, and CM Punk did what CM Punk does: GTS to Dirty Dom. Punk then mock-pinned him and told Rhea to count it. She did, the building exploded at the three, and none of it changed a thing because the official result was a DQ win for Punk, which means the champ keeps the title. Again: supershow logic, not canon.
So what’s next for Rhea, IYO, and the title picture?
On TV, Rhea is still knee-deep in a feud with Asuka and Kairi Sane. She and IYO beat The Kabuki Warriors at 2025 Crown Jewel, but this week’s Raw kept the issue hot, so don’t expect Rhea to jump straight back into the Women’s World Title chase until she finishes that fight.
Meanwhile, Stephanie Vaquer is busy taking victory laps. On last week’s Raw, she claimed she became the first person in WWE to win four championships in a single year, listing the NXT Women’s Championship, the NXT Women’s North American Championship, the Women’s World Championship, and the Crown Jewel Championship. Roxanne Perez was not impressed. She argued Vaquer didn’t even deserve the Women’s World Title shot at Wrestlepalooza and said, since she was the last person to beat IYO SKY, she should have had that spot. Vaquer brushed her off with a 'stop whining and do something' vibe, and Perez said she’ll challenge on her own time.
Bottom line: Rhea is tied up with Asuka and Kairi for now, Vaquer has Perez circling, and IYO SKY still has a lane back toward the Women’s World Title. It’s crowded at the top, and Rhea bleeding in Japan probably won’t slow her down. It just adds to the highlight reel.