WWE Heavily Hints at Rhea Ripley's First SmackDown Women's Title Challenger

By Matthew Aguilar

WWE is already lining up the card for WWE Backlash, and while most matches aren't set in stone yet, we already have an idea of several match-ups. Tonight's WWE SmackDown provided another major hint for the SmackDown Title picture, specifically regarding Rhea Ripley's SmackDown Women's Championship. Judgement Day has been feuding with the LWO, and tonight it was Damian Priest facing Santos Escobar. That paved the way for a second altercation between Ripley and Zelina Vega, and by the end of the match, it truly seems as if Vega will be Ripley's first Title challenger.

During the match, Judgement Day had to get involved, including Dominik Mysterio, but then Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde evened the odds. Then Ripley looked to get involved, and that's when Vega hit her with a hurricanrana and threw Ripley across the floor and into the barricade.

That's the second time a sequence like that has happened between the two, and Kayla Braxton confronted Ripley about the last time it happened earlier in the night. Ripley was angry that Braxton said Vega embarrassed her, and after tonight's sequence, you know Braxton is going to bring it up again.

That also led to Ripley seething a bit when Vega first came out to the ring, which was part of a plan by LWO to attack Priest and Dominik in the ring and distract Ripley. All signs are pointing to Vega and Ripley throwing down sooner than later, and it seems to be building towards a match at Backlash.

The Judgement Day vs LWO feud is probably not stopping anytime soon, as both teams are linked quite a bit at this point. Rey Mysterio is still at odds with his son Dominik, and Vega and Ripley are now at odds. There's also the Bad Bunny vs Damian Priest angle that's been featured quite a bit in storyline, and you know it would draw a huge reaction if Bad Bunny becomes a member of the LWO at some point, connecting the groups even further.

We'll have to wait and see if it all pans out, but right now both groups are doing well and the feud is paying off, and I'm game for even more down the road.

What do you want to see from this feud next and do you think Ripley vs Vega will be a lock at Backlash? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!

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