Former Champion Confirms Return From Hiatus For Royal Rumble

By AG

Posted on January 31, 2026

• Former Champion Confirms Return From Hiatus For Royal Rumble

Former WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella has confirmed that she will enter the Women’s Royal Rumble match today. In an interview in Saudi Arabia, Nikki said she’d like to face AJ Lee in the Rumble match:

“I am gonna go back to my era, and I would want it to be AJ Lee. Since she has been back, we haven’t had that face-off, so if I was the only one standing in that ring, I would want to hit 30, and I want to have that old-school staredown. That would be great.”

Nikki Bella teases Brie’s potential surprise return and names AJ Lee as the wrestler she’d love to face as her last opponent at the #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/rV2fn0f170
— maisha (@BRIZEEMODE) January 30, 2026

The WWE Hall of Famer hasn’t appeared on RAW in a month. Her last match took place on the December 29, 2025, episode of RAW, where she competed in a Triple Threat Match for the Women’s World Championship against Stephanie Vaquer and Raquel Rodriguez.

Also Read: Possible Spoiler On Big Royal Rumble Arrival

• Champion Reacts To NXT GM Ava Leaving WWE

NXT General Manager Ava has left WWE. The Rock’s daughter issued the following statement:

“This past Tuesday was my last appearance on NXT & subsequently WWE. Thank you to all who have cheered, watched, and supported me through my journey. While my decision to not renew my contract was very difficult, it’s also new turning point in my life. It has been an honor & a privilege to be Ava.”

WWE issued the following statement to Fightful Select regarding Ava’s departure:

“WWE thanks and applauds Simone Garcia Johnson for her stellar work as Ava and beyond. Her passion, dedication, and impact were felt across the entire NXT and WWE community. We wish her the very best in all future endeavors.”

Ava posted the following on X: “I loved being your mayor. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

NXT North American Champion Ethan Page replied the following:

Me on Tuesday trying to start trouble … https://t.co/99G4VECYX5 pic.twitter.com/SAScFosHX3
— “All Ego” Ethan Page (@OfficialEGO) January 30, 2026

Before becoming the General Manager of NXT, Ava had a short run as a wrestler on NXT. In 2023, she had 6 matches in NXT. Her debut match took place at NXT Stand & Deliver 2023 Kickoff. Her last match took place at NXT Heatwave 2023, where she lost to Ivy Nile.

In September 2025, The Rock told MTV UK that Ava didn’t use his influence to get ahead in WWE:

“I am so proud of her, because it’s what I did, and I love what I did, I love wrestling, I grew up in wrestling. She was born into it too just like I was, and when she said, ‘Hey I wanna do what you do’ – but the difference is, it’s why I get emotional, because she’s like, ‘I wanna do what you do, but I wanna carve my own path.’ That’s the difference.

That was a big deal when I heard that. Because it’s easy I think for any kid who want to come up and do what their parents are doing to… maybe it’s not overt, but to utilize the influence. I’m telling you, it never happened. I never got that call. Like hey, ‘Can you call someone, could you…’ – I never got that call. And that’s the truth.

And that’s the thing that makes me proud. Look, I’d have been there anyway, I would have made that call, but when you don’t get it, it gave me a profound sense of pride, because I helped, with her mom, raise an amazing human being.”