WWE Rumors: Former Champion Reportedly Re-Signs With Company Following Nine-Year Absence

According to PWInsider, former WWE Women’s and Divas Champion Melina Perez is returning to the company following a nine-year absence. She could also be returning to television within the next week, according to multiple sources.

The report noted there has been backstage interest in signing the former superstar for some time. Officials reportedly wanted her to return for this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match. However, she was still under contract with NWA at the time.

A follow-up report from WrestlingNews.co stated the plan is to have Melina join the Monday Night Raw roster. The report also highlighted that interest in bringing Melina back into the fold on a full-time basis can be traced back to last year, after the 41-year-old made a brief cameo appearance during the red brand’s reunion special.

Melina originally signed with WWE in 2004 and made her debut on the main roster one year later. She began her career as a manager for John Morisson and Joey Mercury’s M&M tag team. She then went on to establish herself as a successful singles star.

During that time, she won the Divas and Women’s Championships two and three times, respectively. Melina was also the first superstar to win both titles multiple times. Some of her most notable in-ring rivals included Natalya, Michelle McCool and Layla.

As the WrestlingNews.co article noted, Melina was regarded as one of the best in-ring workers in the division at the time. However, when she worked for the company, female performers weren’t given a prominent spotlight, which may have led to her having some tension backstage.

She was released from her previous contract in 2011 and returned to the independent scene in 2015. There were rumors of her having backstage heat due to her attitude behind the scenes.

Now that female-focused wrestling has undergone a revolution in WWE, fans will be excited to see Melina mix it up with current roster members. It remains to be seen if she’ll be given a main event push, but she’ll undoubtedly be a solid hand in the red brand’s division.

Melina might not be the only former superstar who’s returning to action soon. As The Inquisitr documented earlier, The Boogeyman teased a comeback with a cryptic social media post.

Bringing back former stars isn’t uncommon in the promotion. However, the latest potential returns might surprise some fans as they come after a period of cost-cutting that saw multiple talents lose their jobs in 2020.