Huge Ex-NXT Fan Favourite Returns To WWE On Raw!

Wrestler competes in first match in more than 14 months, but for good reason.

by Scott Carlson
Candice LeRae
WWE.com

Candice LeRae made her WWE main roster debut on Raw Monday night, defeating Nikki ASH in a short match that marked her first in-ring action since July 2021.

The wife of Johnny Gargano, LeRae has been out of action since becoming pregnant. She gave birth in February and was out on maternity leave when her contract expired in May. Gargano re-signed with WWE and showed up on Raw a few weeks ago, perhaps increasing the odds of Candice doing the same.

It's impressive to see LeRae back in the ring just seven months after giving birth. Though there was no indication of whether she will be back in the ring full-time (her match with Nikki ASH lasted less than two minutes), she later confronted Damage CTRL backstage and challenged Dakota Kai before the faction left the arena for the evening.

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A 20-year veteran, LeRae adds stability and depth to a women's roster that was woefully thin just two months ago. She could end up in a tag team or purely a singles wrestler. It's long overdue for Candice Wrestling to wind up on the main roster, so that in itself is a victory.

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Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fortunately became a fan in time for WrestleMania III and came back as a fan after a long high school hiatus before WM XIV. Monday nights in the Carlson household are reserved for viewing Raw -- for better or worse.