At WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, Rhea Ripley defeated Tiffany Stratton, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, Kiana James and Alexa Bliss to win the Women’s Elimination Chamber and punch her ticket for WrestleMania 42.
With Ripley going on to challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship at “The Show of Shows,” it means Rhea will now head to Friday Night SmackDown to build up her match.
This means that someone on Monday Night Raw or another brand could step in to replace Ripley moving forward.
Here are seven potential WWE Raw replacements for Rhea Ripley.
7. IYO SKY
Rhea Ripley announced her departure from Monday Night Raw to head to SmackDown to build up her WWE Women’s Championship match with Jade Cargill at WrestleMania 42.
To make this announcement, Ripley stated this in a promo alongside her rival-turned-best friend IYO SKY.
This followed RHIYO losing the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships to The Irresistible Forces on the February 27 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
Now that Ripley will be leaving Raw, it just makes sense for IYO to assume Rhea’s place atop of the Raw women’s division.
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6. Lyra Valkyria
Since getting called up to the WWE main roster in 2024, Lyra Valkyria has been viewed as a star on the rise.
After coming up short in the Queen of the Ring tournament and other opportunities, Valkyria would become the first ever WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion and went on to become embroiled in a memorable rivalry with Becky Lynch in 2025.
At 29 years old, Valkyria feels like someone who should be a top star in the WWE women’s division for years to come.
Taking the place of Rhea Ripley, Valkyria has what it takes to reach the mountaintop and potentially become a world champion in the Raw women’s scene.
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5. AJ Lee
Back in September 2025, AJ Lee made her return to WWE to help her husband CM Punk in his rivalry with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Over the next few months, Lee made Lynch submit at both WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025 and Survivor Series 2025.
Then at WWE Elimination Chamber 2026, Lee defeated Lynch to win the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
AJ Lee finally winning gold for the first time in over a decade should put her in a position to replace Rhea Ripley on Monday Night Raw moving forward.
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4. Liv Morgan
Someone who has desired Rhea Ripley’s spot on the Monday Night Raw roster for years now is Liv Morgan.
After being injured by Ripley in 2023, Morgan set out on the “Liv Morgan Revenge Tour,” which saw her take everything from her rival over the course of the next year.
From injuring Ripley and winning the WWE Women’s World Championship to taking Dominik Mysterio and The Judgment Day, Liv cemented herself as a main eventer on Monday Night Raw.
Morgan has firmly solidified herself as a top star, but she can now elevate to the number one woman on WWE Raw with Ripley out of the way.
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3. ZARIA
In 2024, ZARIA signed with WWE and made her debut on the NXT brand where she has firmly made a name for herself.
Putting her name on the map on the Australian independent scene, ZARIA earned a reputation that led to her signing with WWE.
The former Delta Brady has made her mark on NXT alongside Sol Ruca, but she recently turned on her friend after being tired of being overlooked in favor of her.
With their connection from coming up in Australia, ZARIA feels like someone would instantly look to replace Rhea Ripley by getting called up to Monday Night Raw.
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2. Sol Ruca
Speaking of ZARIA, the Australian star formed a friendship and partnership alongside Sol Ruca over the past year on WWE NXT.
However, Ruca has elevated to one of the biggest female stars in all of NXT as a former NXT Women’s North American Champion and WWE Speed Women’s Champion.
Over the past few months, Ruca has gotten more opportunities on the WWE main roster with a win over Bayley at Saturday Night’s Main Event and her standout performance in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match.
Now that it feels like she is ready for the main roster stage, Ruca would be someone who could fill the void on WWE Raw left behind by Rhea Ripley.
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1. Stephanie Vaquer
Signing with WWE in 2024, it immediately became clear that “La Primera” had everything it takes to be a huge star.
First on the NXT brand, it did not take Vaquer long before she won the NXT Women’s and Women’s North American Championships at the same time.
Then upon being called up to the main roster, Vaquer only took a few months before she became WWE Women’s World Champion, which she still holds heading into WrestleMania 42.
Vaquer replacing Rhea Ripley on WWE Raw feels like the simplest option that could be seamless in so many ways for the brand moving forward.
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