Former World Champion Potentially Returning At WWE Royal Rumble 2026 (WWE News)

PWInsider reports that it's only a matter of time before AWOL ex-WWE Women's Champion and popular heel turned babyface Tiffany Stratton returns to TV. According to the rumour mill, there's a solid chance that Stratton picks the 2026 Royal Rumble this coming weekend as her comeback date.

What a moment that'd be.

The company has announced a string of names involved in the match on programming, but it's also fun to predict the full field of 30 for this year's Rumble bouts. Stratton hasn't been seen since losing her title to Jade Cargill back at the 1 November 2025 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event.

Her absence has everyone questioning whether or not 'Tiffy Time' is over in WWE. Was it a fleeting 2025 thing, or does she have way more to offer in 2026 and beyond? Only Triple H and his creative team can answer that, but even they'd probably relent that the back half of Tiffany's run as Women's Champion faded badly.

It was a mercy killing for the reign by the time she matched up with Cargill at SNME.

Things have been fairly quiet on the Stratton front since that loss. She hasn't popped up on Raw or SmackDown to cut promos, and there's been barely any mention of the former champ onscreen by the commentary teams. However, she is expected to make a return imminently, and the Rumble would be the ideal place for Tiffy to make her mark.

Will Tiffany Go After Jade Cargill?

Obviously, there's no real call for putting Jade Cargill in this year's Rumble. As reigning Women's Champion, she's one of the women waiting to find out who the winner is and whether or not they'll pick her for a challenge at WrestleMania 42. This year's choices: Jade or Stephanie Vaquer.

WWE may reason that Stratton has unfinished business with Cargill, but her future plans hinge on her sticking to a babyface role or going heel yet again. If it's the former, then there's scope for a rematch with Jade. If Tiffany goes rogue, then probably not.

Cargill vs. Bianca Belair (who is also on the comeback trail) would probably make the most sense for 'Mania. That'd be a blockbuster title showdown, but it'd leave Stratton out in the cold when it comes to the title picture. She'd have to find something else to do, or jump to Raw and pursue Vaquer (who beat her back at Crown Jewel late last year).

This recent break from action might turn out to be a good thing for Tiffany. She'd grown stale as a character, and her own title reign was screaming out for some focus. Unfortunately, Hunter and his writers didn't really give her that before taking the belt and plonking it on rising force Jade.

Even so, Stratton's return at the Rumble should play before a monster pop if it happens.