Nia Jax Reveals How Long WWE Royal Rumble Appearance Was Planned

Royal Rumble is one of WWE's most highly anticipated shows every year. It kicks off the road to Wrestlemania where both men and women compete for a title opportunity at the showcase of immortals. But fans also look forward to the surprise entrants. We've seen A.J. Styles make his WWE debut at the Rumble, Edge make his return to the squared circle, and even Mickie James show up as Impact Wrestling's Knockouts Champion. While there were far fewer surprises this year, we did see a shocking appearance from the Irresistible Force herself, Nia Jax. During a "Sign-It-Live" live stream with Highspots, Jax was asked whether she knew a month in advance that she was going to be in the Rumble.

"No I did not," she said, adding that her appearance was so last minute that she didn't have her gear ready at the time.

"I had it very quickly rushed."

It was a surprise to see Jax back in the ring after she turned down the Royal Rumble last year and even stated that she's not likely to return to wrestling again. The former "Raw" Women's Champion was released by WWE back in November 2021. Since then, she hasn't wrestled a single match for any promotion.

There's no official word on if her return to WWE was a one-off appearance or if she's back with the company full-time. WWE did release new Nia Jax merchandise on their shop, which could possibly mean that she signed a new deal. But she's still listed in the alumni section of the roster page and has yet to appear on either "Raw" or "SmackDown."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Highsports with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.