How Alexa Bliss’ shocking return came at the cost of 32-year-old star’s spot in the Royal Rumble
Alexa Bliss' return at the Royal Rumble was a well-kept secret. Unfortunately, it had to come at the cost of this 32-year-old superstar.
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Alexa Bliss reportedly replaced Shotzi at the last minute in the Women's Royal Rumble (via WWE)
Alexa Bliss made her return to WWE this past Friday at the Royal Rumble. She was last seen in the promotion 2 years ago at the same PLE when she unsuccessfully challenged Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. The 33-year-old entered this year’s edition of the Rumble at #21. While she was unable to pick up a single elimination, she did survive for 11 minutes before being tossed out by Liv Morgan.
According to Fightful, none of the participants in the Women’s Royal Rumble had any idea that Alexa Bliss was going to return that night. She wasn’t even present for rehearsals for the match on Friday. In fact, the other competitors allegedly found out on the day of the PLE. Originally, it was Shotzi who was supposed to enter the Rumble in that spot. Unfortunately for her, her spot got snubbed for the Goddess.
Leading up to the Royal Rumble, many news outlets also stated that WWE and Bliss had been unable to reach an agreement and that the 33-year-old would not be at the show. Commentators Michael Cole and Pat McAfee even made fun of this fact during the PLE. They joked that the return wasn’t supposed to happen according to the dirtsheets.
As of the start of Saturday, participants in the Women’s #RoyalRumble Match had no idea Alexa Bliss would be in the match, and she wasn’t at rehearsals on Friday.
— PW Chronicle (@_PWChronicle) February 2, 2025
Originally, Shotzi was slated for Bliss’ entrant spot in the match.
– per @FightfulSelect pic.twitter.com/xtBVrmuBT0
While this change is unfortunate for Shotzi, it is truly a testament to how far WWE has come regarding its women’s wrestling. When the company first began hosting Rumble matches for its female talent, they did not have a roster strong enough to fill all the spots. They were highly reliant on legends of the past making their return. Now, the company’s women’s division is so stacked that they’re unable to fit all of them in the 30-woman match.
What are Alexa Bliss’ plans in WWE moving forward?
Following Alexa Bliss’ return at the Royal Rumble, social media was buzzing with theories about her role in WWE. She had been closely associated with Bray Wyatt in the past. Thus, many fans expected her to be the sixth member of the Wyatt Sicks. Alternatively, others wanted to see her as a singles superstar in the promotion’s stacked women’s division.
According to PWInsider, Bliss will be a part of the Raw brand moving forward. This likely means that she will not be associated with the Wyatt Sicks for the time being. This is because the spooky faction was recently drafted over to SmackDown in the transfer window.
The winner of the Women’s Royal Rumble match, Charlotte Flair, will likely challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. This means that Rhea Ripley would still need an opponent for the Women’s World Championship. This could very well be Bliss. Fans have already seen her perform at a main-event level. She could now make her way back to the top by winning the Elimination Chamber.
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Mokshit Batra
(1404 Articles Published)