If a recent report is to be believed, the long-term plan for the vacant Women’s World Championship already has an endgame: Rhea Ripley winning the title in her home country of Australia at Crown Jewel next month. This potential twist puts the just-announced championship match at Wrestlepalooza in a whole new light.
On the latest episode of Raw, Adam Pearce officially announced that IYO SKY and Stephanie Vaquer will compete for the empty throne on Saturday, September 20, at Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis. The title was vacated on the August 18th episode of Raw after the previous champion, Naomi, announced her pregnancy.
Both competitors have had a strange road to this match. Vaquer originally earned her title shot by winning a 20-woman battle royal at the Evolution event back in July. SKY, on the other hand, was the champion earlier this year before losing the belt to Naomi’s Money in the Bank cash-in at that same event. She was granted a spot in this upcoming match because her scheduled rematch against Naomi in August was canceled just before the title was vacated.
According to Billi Bhatti of The Dirty Sheets Wrestling Informer podcast, the outcome of the Wrestlepalooza match is just one part of a larger story designed to get the championship back on Ripley. Bhatti stated:
“As things stand, the plan is for Rhea Ripley to recapture the vacant championship in her home country of Australia at the WWE Crown Jewel PLE next month. It’s also believed that Rhea Ripley will end her losing streak to IYO SKY en route to reclaiming the Championship.”
For this scenario to play out, IYO SKY would have to defeat Stephanie Vaquer at Wrestlepalooza, setting her up for a title defense against Ripley at Crown Jewel on October 11. This would give SKY her second world title reign in 2025, though it would likely be a short one. However, the report also notes that there has been growing criticism over Ripley’s constant booking in the title picture, and a plan that sees her immediately re-enter and win the championship might not go over well with some fans.
The match between SKY and Vaquer is the first to be confirmed for Wrestlepalooza, which will also mark WWE’s premium live event debut on ESPN in the United States and on Netflix for international viewers.