Alexa Bliss replaced fellow WWE star with late Royal Rumble addition - Reports
Alexa Bliss shocked many in the WWE Universe at the 38th annual Royal Rumble on Saturday. The big comeback had been rumored, but word from within WWE indicated problems between the two sides. Now, information has surfaced on how the Rumble surprise went down, including an unfortunate change to Shotzi's involvement.
WWE's Five Feet of Fury entered The Rumble at #21 and lasted 11:01 before Liv Morgan made her the 12th elimination. Unfortunately, Bliss had no eliminations of her own. The return of the second-ever Women's Triple Crown Champion came just days after sources reported on how contract negotiations were in jeopardy as Bliss and WWE were far apart on financial terms, so much that a deal may never be reached, fueling rumors on Alexa and AEW. This would have put Bliss into free agency when her deal expires later this year.
Bliss ultimately agreed to terms with WWE officials, but her Royal Rumble return was a late decision. Word came down on Saturday that Bliss was at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, which fueled talk on the previous reports being incorrect, but Fightful Select adds that PWInsider and The Wrestling Observer were accurate in their reporting of the Bliss situation over the last week or so.
Backstage sources noted that Bliss did not attend the Royal Rumble rehearsals on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Furthermore, as of early Saturday morning, the other Women's Royal Rumble participants had no idea Bliss would be a surprise entrant. Her return led to another superstar's return being nixed.
Shotzi has been working in NXT since returning from a 10-month injury hiatus in December. She was slated to return in the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match, which would've been her first main roster appearance since the 2024 Rumble.
Sources within WWE, who are speaking on matters from The Rumble, feel bad for Shotzi and how things played out. With that said, people are not holding anything against Alexa Bliss for Shotzi being replaced, and they were happy to see the new mother-of-one back in action.
Alexa Bliss pays tribute to Bray Wyatt
The WWE Universe is buzzing over the long-awaited return of Alexa Bliss. The multi-time champion returned during the Women's Royal Rumble and brought Lilly with her.
Bliss was close with Bray Wyatt, in the storylines and off-screen. The 33-year-old paid tribute to the man behind The Fiend at Royal Rumble last night with a patch of his attire sewn into her skirt. A fan tweeted the following photo, and Bliss re-tweeted the post.
Saturday's 30-woman battle royal marked Alexa Bliss' first match since the 2023 Royal Rumble. Her last match before the comeback saw Bliss fail to dethrone Bianca Belair, who was the RAW Women's Champion at that time.
