Rhea Ripley, a former Women’s World Champion, has confirmed she will be wearing a protective mask for her upcoming WarGames match at the WWE Survivor Series Premium Live Event. The bout will see Ripley team up with AJ Lee, Iyo Sky, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair against a team led by Nia Jax. Ripley suffered a broken nose during a tag match on a WWE tour in Japan last month, an injury that has since required her to wear a protective mask.
The Necessity of the Protective Mask
During an appearance on the Raw Recap show, Ripley gave details about her injury and the necessity of the face covering for the high-stakes WarGames bout. She stated that her nose is still not completely healed, making the mask a requirement for the match. She explained her status to the hosts:
“I will have to wear it during this WarGames match, and I will probably have it on the entire time unless someone takes it off forcefully. My nose is somewhat healed, but it’s still not fully healed, so I will be wearing it. But I will also be doing it up, just like I did last year, so I can’t wait to show everyone exactly what my mask looks like.”
This is the second consecutive year Ripley has been forced to wear a mask at the Survivor Series event. Last year, an orbital bone injury necessitated the custom face covering. Her mask for this year’s WarGames has been created by Jason Baker, who is well-known for designing The Fiend’s iconic mask and various other horror-style creations.
A Stacked WarGames Matchup
Ripley’s team is certainly newsworthy, featuring five former WWE Women’s Champions. The opposing team features Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Lash Legend, a team that Ripley admitted is highly talented. Ripley was sure to put over her formidable opponents, noting that they are skilled wrestlers: “forces to be reckoned with.”
The match lineup is stacked on both sides, with the Women’s WarGames contest being one of four confirmed matches for the event taking place in San Diego, California. Lash Legend, a newer star, will be making her first WarGames appearance and only her second on a main roster Premium Live Event, having previously appeared at Crown Jewel 2024.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Raw Recap with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to Raw Recap on various platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
