WWE News: Alexa Bliss Announces In-Ring Return

If there’s one thing fans of the WWE have been left wondering, it’s when Alexa Bliss will make her return to in-ring competition. She’s been on the shelf for quite some time due to issues with concussions, and she was always very cryptic in regards to when she would return to the ring.

On this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, she finally spelled it out officially: she’ll return as one of the 30 competitors in the Women’s Royal Rumble match this Sunday, January 27, per Forbes.

A return in the Royal Rumble makes sense for Alexa Bliss — as compared to a return in a one-on-one match — because they can protect her, and make sure she doesn’t take too many aggressive bumps. Said landings or impacts could agitate her head injuries.

However, with that being said, the WWE is very protective of its performers when it comes to head injuries — and they almost certainly wouldn’t clear her for any type of in-ring return if she wasn’t back to 100-percent.

On the other hand, her return won’t receive the same level of excitement as it might have, because it will be mixed in with a bunch of other surprises that usually take place in the Royal Rumble match. If she returned to the ring in a heavily-promoted singles match, it would put the spotlight on her — and not on the grandiose match.

One also needs to wonder why the WWE chose to announce Alexa Bliss coming back instead of leaving it as a surprise. Her music hitting unexpectedly during the match would have generated a huge pop with the crowd, whereas now we all know she’s coming back in advance.

The list of 23 Women’s Royal Rumble competitors announced so far follows.

• Carmella (who will enter at No. 30 for winning the Mixed Match Challenge).
• Bayley.
• Ember Moon.
• Natalya.
• Ruby Riott.
• Liv Morgan.
• Sarah Logan.
• Mandy Rose.
• Sonya Deville.
• Alicia Fox.
• Zelina Vega.
• Mickie James.
• Charlotte Flair.
• Naomi.
• Tamina.
• Peyton Royce.
• Billie Kay.
• Dana Brooke.
• Lana.
• Nia Jax.
• Nikki Cross.
• Alexa Bliss.
• Lacey Evans.

With 23 women announced for the event, there’s still a bit of room for surprise entrants. Call-ups from NXT and returns from past performers may fit the bill.

Fun fact: sometimes I like to stand on chairs & yell at people pic.twitter.com/RTiPrkqs6f

— Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) January 22, 2019

The Royal Rumble takes place on January 27, 2019. It will be broadcast from Phoenix, Arizona, at Chase Field.

The full Royal Rumble card, as announced so far, follows.

• 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble match.
• 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
• Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Bálor.
• Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami vs. Kalisto.
• Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles.
• Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch.
• Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks.
• The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) (c) vs. The Miz and Shane McMahon.
• Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Based on the length of time the Royal Rumble matches typically take up, this could end up being the full card for the event — though it is possible that WWE could add one or two more matches after SmackDown Live tonight.