Australian WWE star Rhea Ripley has been banned from competition ‘indefinitely’ after a brutal attack by rival Liv Morgan.
The popular wrestler was attacked by ‘heel’ Liv Morgan and her ‘enforcer’ Raquel Rodriguez in the parking lot during the most recent broadcast of the WWE show NXT.
The aftermath of the shocking backstage fight was broadcast live during a segment featuring wrestlers Ava Raine, Stevie Turner and Robert Stone.
The graphic incident, which appeared to be part of Rhea and Liv’s on-screen rivalry, saw two referees rush into the parking lot in a shocking turn of events.
The referees ran past Liv and her ‘bodyguard’ Raquel, who were grinning from ear to ear as they brandished baseball bats.
Rhea was soon found with a shockingly bruised and bloodied face as she lay next to her car as officials called for medical help for the star.
Following the attack, the WWE revealed on its official X account that Rhea had suffered a fractured right orbital socket and would be out of the ring indefinitely.
“Following Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez’s brutal attack in the NXT parking lot last night, Rhea Ripley suffered a fractured right orbital socket and will be out of action for an undisclosed amount of time,” a statement read.
On Thursday, Rhea took to her Instagram page to confirm the injury by sharing two x-rays of her broken face.
Australian WWE star Rhea Ripley has been banned from competition ‘indefinitely’ after a brutal attack by rival Liv Morgan
The popular wrestler was attacked by ‘heel’ Liv Morgan and her ‘enforcer’ Raquel Rodriguez in the parking lot during the most recent broadcast of the WWE show NXT
Captioning the photos, Rhea warned her rivals as she wrote, “Mistake #1. You made me breathe.”
Her 4.5 million fans quickly responded to the shocking message, wishing the wrestler a speedy recovery.
“Sending you so much love my girl,” one fan wrote. ‘Come back to us bigger and stronger and above all FOR BLOOD.’
Another chimed in with a similar one: “Get well soon Rhea. Sending you so much love and good vibes. I will always be in your corner.”
WWE is known for blurring the lines between reality and scripted entertainment to keep audiences engaged, but Rhea has previously suffered shocking legitimate injuries during backstage fights.
Earlier this year, Rhea was forced to relinquish her WWE Women’s World Title after suffering an arm injury from an attack by Liv during a backstage fight.
Rhea was thrown into a wall and it quickly became clear that she would not be able to return to the ring after the freak accident.
With her arm in a sling, she choked back tears as the crowd chanted her name and thanked her for an incredible title reign.
“This championship means the most to me in my entire life and that’s why this is so painful,” she said on Raw.
During the segment, two referees ran to the parking lot where they passed Liv and her “bodyguard” Raquel, who were grinning as they brandished baseball bats.
On Thursday, Rhea took to her Instagram page to confirm the injury by sharing two x-rays of her broken face
In chaotic scenes, Ripley was visibly angry at being forced to leave her crown.
Her many supporters agreed, chanting “bulls***.”
Rhea – whose real name is Demi Bennett – rose through the ranks to become arguably the greatest Australian export in WWE history.
She first became known to WWE fans after competing in the Mae Young Classic in 2017 – and since then, her goth rocker persona has developed a cult-like following.
In her personal life, Rhea also married fellow wrestler Buddy Matthews in April.
The setback comes after Rhea – whose real name is Demi Bennett – rose through the ranks to become arguably the biggest Australian export in the history of professional wrestling.
She posted a photo of herself kissing her new husband, 35, and simply captioned the post: “Until death. 23.06.24.’
Followers rushed to congratulate the pro wrestling power couple, including fellow WWE stars Bianca Belair, Kayla Becker, Daphanie LaShaunn and Dominik Mysterio.
The couple announced their engagement on Instagram last August.
She posted a photo of herself kissing her smiling fiancé, 34, on a beach in Florida and also revealed her unique engagement ring: a large diamond on a black band.