• Former Champion Expected To Make 1st WWE Appearance Of 2026 At Royal Rumble
According to Fightful Select, former WWE Divas Champion Nikki Bella is in Saudi Arabia, which most likely means that she’ll be in the Women’s Royal Rumble match.
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.
Speaking of the Women’s Royal Rumble, Bianca Belair has the second highest betting odds for winning the 30-woman match, but there’s no update on her return status.
Also Read: Popular Face Returning To WWE TV Soon
• Update On Paige Amid Royal Rumble Return Rumors
A change in Saraya’s (fka Paige) personal schedule has sent the wrestling world into a frenzy just days before the Royal Rumble. While rumors of a WWE return are constant, a recent logistical shift has opened a window for the former Divas Champion to make a shock appearance in Saudi Arabia.
Saraya was originally locked in for a fan convention this weekend, a commitment that would have made a Rumble entry impossible. However, due to a venue double-booking, that convention was pushed back by one week. Crucially, this wasn’t a case of Saraya backing out to join WWE; the event itself moved, suddenly leaving her Saturday schedule wide open.
According to Fightful Select, the former WWE Divas Champion was still spotted in the United States as of Wednesday night, but the timing of her newfound freedom is hard to ignore.
With the Women’s Royal Rumble taking place in Riyadh this Saturday, the possibility of her return has moved from a wild theory to a legitimate scheduling reality.
Saraya begun training for her in-ring return recently, posting videos on social media to generate fan interest in her comeback. She wrote the following in the caption of her latest training video on X:
“Feeling like my old self again.”
• 2 Absent SmackDown Stars Are In Saudi Arabia Ahead Of Royal Rumble
Aleister Black and Zelina have been absent from Friday Night SmackDown for four weeks, but the reason is a mix of creative storytelling and a real-life minor injury. Black’s last appearance was an Ambulance Match against Damian Priest on the January 2, 2026, episode, which marked SmackDown’s return to a three-hour format.
According to PWInsider, WWE made the creative decision to keep Black off television to “sell” the brutal nature of his loss to Priest. The hiatus was reportedly pre-planned, but there is a physical component as well. Black reportedly suffered a small fracture to his tailbone during one of the high-impact spots in the Ambulance Match.
While this is a real injury, sources note that it is not severe enough to keep him out if the company desperately needed him; however, the timing allows him to heal while enhancing the storyline impact of Priest’s victory.
In an update from PWInsider, Black and Zelina are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of today’s SmackDown and tomorrow’s Royal Rumble, where they could return.
