Former WWE Title Holder Training For In-Ring Return?

This three-time champion could be gearing up for a return to the ring.

Jun 4, 2023 June 4th, 2023

Could Nia Jax be about to make her pro wrestling comeback? Possibly...

Yesterday saw D-Von Dudley showcase Jax training at his D-Von Dudley Academy, which has led to some speculating that the Irresistible Force could be gearing up for a return to the ring.

You never know who you will see at D-von Dudley Academy (DDA)as former WWE superstar Nia working with some of the students here at DDA. #DDA #wwe pic.twitter.com/CS2TObyZgl
— D-von Dudley HOF (@TestifyDVon) June 3, 2023

It appears that this training session actually took place at least a week ago, as Nia herself posted footage on Instagram of her and Kaci Lennox doing battle between the ropes.

Having been with WWE as far back as 2014, Nia was one of the many, many talents released by the market leader during their numerous 2021 rounds of "budget cuts". Her last appearance of that tenure came on the 20 September '21 edition of WWE Raw, where she lost in short fashion to Shayna Baszler.

Following that departure, Nia has made one further appearance for WWE, being a surprise entrant in this year's women's Royal Rumble; a Royal Rumble that was won by Rhea Ripley.

Whether the real-life Lina Fanene is indeed lining up a return to WWE or a general return to the wrestling world remains to be seen, but this could certainly be a situation to keep an eye on.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

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