Backstage News On Bianca Belair's Current Absence From WWE Programming

The angle that saw Damage CTRL attack Bianca Belair's knee backstage on the August 18 episode of "WWE SmackDown" was done to write the former WWE Women's Champion off TV, but not because her knee is actually injured. According to Fightful Select, Belair will be taking a much-needed vacation, though it's unclear how long — per the report, Belair could be out for under a month, or she could be gone as long as three months.

It was noted in the report that Belair received "constant praise" within the company while she was holding the "Raw" Women's Championship because of her media schedule (such as appearing on the 37th Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards) and was always making time to do community service events. Belair was the champion for a record 420 days, defending it against the likes of Becky Lynch, Sonya Deville, Carmela, and Alexa Bliss. Asuka ended Belair's historic reign at Night of Champions on May 27 and ended up becoming the first WWE Women's Champion when the title was rebranded.

Prior to the attack, Belair teamed up with former rival Charlotte Flair to defeat Damage CTRL. It was earlier this month at WWE SummerSlam that Belair "injured" her knee, a storyline hurdle that didn't stop her from winning the WWE Women's title — momentarily. Shortly thereafter, SKY would successfully cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase and become the new champion.