WWE Star Ditches Broken Gimmick, Returns On Raw!
Former champion spoils Raw main event in a closing frenzy.
Nikki ASH is no more; say hello to Nikki Cross once again.
The erstwhile (almost a) superhero returned to Raw this Monday night after a month-long absence, wreaking havoc during the main event grudge match between Bianca Belair and Bayley.
Cross first dived off the top turnbuckle to the floor, taking out Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai and the referee, with her identity obscured. She then attacked Belair while the ref was down, allowing Bayley to pick up the win. But lest the Role Model think she had a new ally, Nikki then attacked Bayley after the match, leaving herself the only one standing to close the show.
SHE'S BACK!!!!!!!!
Look who just returned on #WWERaw to take out @itsBayleyWWE! ? pic.twitter.com/rmC7Bv7jiq
Advertisement— WWE (@WWE) October 25, 2022
When we last saw Nikki, she was masquerading as a pseudo-superhero in a gimmick that was long past its sell-by date. After losing a singles match against Candice LeRae on the 26 September episode of Raw, Nikki removed her mask and sat in the corner sobbing. That seemed to mark the end of the Nikki ASH character, which was confirmed on Monday night, as she seemed to be a more well-dressed version of her crazed NXT character.
Despite her explosive return, Cross has not had a lot of success to build off. She won the Raw Women's Championship last summer shortly after her character change but lost it a month later. A forgettable run as WWE Women's Tag Team Champions with Rhea Ripley followed, but Nikki has not won a Raw or PLE match since October 2021.