As PWMania.com previously reported, Nia Jax made her return to WWE during Monday night’s RAW main event in Norfolk, VA. Jax defeated Raquel Rodriguez at ringside, allowing WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley to finish her off and retain the title. Jax then took Ripley out and hit her with a powerful Bonsai Drop. As RAW came to an end, she posed to boos and kissed the audience.
In an update, Fightful Select reports that Jax has been under contract with WWE for more than a month. Several WWE employees expected her to return before this week’s RAW.
PWInsider first reported on August 8 that there was talk of Jax returning. Their post-RAW update from this week also confirms that Jax is officially signed to a WWE contract, and has most likely been signed since early August, when it was reported that her return was being discussed.
According to the Fightful update, Jax’s appearance on RAW, the final show under full McMahon Family control, is unrelated to the Endeavor acquisition closing today for the WWE-UFC merger.
Jax, a former RAW Women’s Champion and two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, joined the company in early 2014 to work for WWE NXT. She was called up to the main roster in July 2016 and remained there until November 4, 2021, when she was released along with other budget cuts. Jax later revealed that she was fired while on a mental health leave. Since leaving WWE, Jax has made a few convention appearances, but she has not worked for any other wrestling promotion. Since her release in November 2021, her only match has been the 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Jax made a surprise appearance in The Rumble in January, entering at #30. She was the 19th woman to be eliminated, but it took 11 other women to do so.
