hea Ripley is walking into 2026 with momentum and a schedule that already looks heavier than anything she handled last year.
She closed out 2025 with strong showings across both Raw and SmackDown, and early indications show WWE lining her up for bigger stories rather than easing her in slowly. Her first major spotlight comes on January 5, when WWE rolls out its crossover Raw event with the Stranger Things franchise. Ripley is set for a Women’s Tag Team Championship match that night with IYO SKY, which instantly puts her front and center at the start of the year.
What this really means is that WWE is keeping her visible in multiple divisions at once. She also picked up a solid win on SmackDown in mid-December alongside Damian Priest, a reminder that the company has no intention of letting her fade into the background.
A fresh direction taking shape
The chatter around Ripley’s next step points toward a brand shift. There’s steady buzz about her moving to SmackDown as WWE reshuffles pieces going into the new year. A switch like that usually signals that creative wants new feuds, new matchups, and a reset in character direction. Ripley has been tied to the same group and the same orbit for a long stretch, so a move would open up doors she hasn’t walked through yet.
There’s also talk that she might end up at the head of a faction. Fans and analysts keep circling back to the idea that WWE could build a unit around her instead of keeping her attached to old alliances. Nothing is confirmed, but the idea has serious traction partly because Ripley’s presence tends to elevate whoever stands next to her. If WWE wants to build new stars in 2026, giving her a leadership anchor would make sense.