The scheduled contract signing for the vacant Women’s World Championship was abruptly canceled on the September 8 edition of WWE Raw, but the title match between IYO SKY and Stephanie Vaquer at Wrestlepalooza is, for now, still set to take place.
The cancellation was made official during a backstage segment on Raw. General Manager Adam Pearce approached IYO SKY to apologize and inform her that Stephanie Vaquer was unable to be at the event in Milwaukee. While Pearce offered no specific reason for Vaquer’s absence, he assured SKY that he fully expects Vaquer to be ready for their premium live event showdown. The conversation also drew the attention of Nikki Bella, who appeared briefly to inquire about Vaquer’s status.
This entire situation stems from the title being vacated by the previous champion, Naomi, on the August 18 episode of Raw following her pregnancy announcement.
The path to crowning a new champion has been complicated. Stephanie Vaquer originally punched her ticket to a title shot by winning a 20-woman battle royal at WWE Evolution back in July, earning a match against then-champion Naomi. However, before that could happen, IYO SKY lost the championship to Naomi via a Money in the Bank contract cash-in at that same event. SKY was already slated for a rematch when the title was vacated, leading Adam Pearce to book the match between the two top contenders on the September 1 edition of Raw.
With the contract signing now off the books, all eyes turn to Wrestlepalooza on Saturday, September 20, where a new Women’s World Champion will finally be crowned at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.