Professional Wrestling

Nikki Bella and Alexa Bliss are back.

Bliss made her surprising return to WWE programming during Saturday's women's Royal Rumble match in Indianapolis from the No. 21 position in her first appearance since January 2023.

Bliss last wrestled at the 2023 Royal Rumble before taking time off to welcome her daughter. Her return date was in doubt amid a reported contract dispute with WWE.

Bella, meanwhile made her return after a three-year absence when she entered the ring in the No. 30 position.

Bliss was originally set to return for WWE Raw's Netflix debut on Jan. 13, but reports from PW Insider (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) indicated her return had been "put on hold indefinitely" as her camp pushed for a new contract.

That made The Goddess' sudden return to the ring a surprise to WWE fans:

Bliss' time at the Royal Rumble didn't last for long, though.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez combined to toss her over the top rope and end her WWE return early.

Some fans wondered if the elimination was the start of a feud between Morgan, who has been part of a longtime rivalry with Rhea Ripley, and the newly returned Bliss.

Bella, a WWE Hall of Famer who last stepped into the ring during the 2022 women's Royal Rumble, made her own surprise comeback after she and twin sister Brie Bella said in March 2023 they wouldn't be re-signing with WWE.

Nikki sparked return rumors when she was seen in the front row of Raw's Netflix debut last month. TMZ then reported she was "in talks to make a potential comeback."

Brie could be next to make her comeback to the ring. She declined to rule out a return when asked about her wrestling future last month.

Some fans had called for AJ Lee at No. 30, but Fightful Select (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) recently reported there is not yet any sign the three-time Divas Championship winner intends to end her retirement.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode below.

While WrestleMania tends to steal the headlines each year, WWE's annual Royal Rumble premium live event (PLE) is actually the company's second most important show and arguably its most entertaining.

With so many options in the men's and women's 30-person Battle Royals, the 2025 Royal Rumble's unpredictability has added a genuine excitement that is missing from many of WWE's marquee events.

Here are the fantasy booking decisions that will make or break the February PLE.

Roman Reigns Steals the Show

In the men's Royal Rumble, there are ample options for potential winners, including John Cena, CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre, but there is one option that stands above the rest as the best for WWE.

Roma Reigns should win the 2025 Royal Rumble.

The Bloodline storyline has been a central focal point of WWE for over two years, and it still hasn't run its course. With several of the small players in the drama falling to the wayside, it's time to get back to the top stars squaring off.

If Reigns wins the 30-man Battle Royal, WWE Creative can go in two key directions for the Road to WrestleMania 41. Either Reigns battles Cody Rhodes again for the world title, or Triple H can throw everyone a curveball and get Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson involved.

With so much on the line at the Royal Rumble, the WWE Universe should fully expect The Rock to make his presence felt at the PLE, but we'll get to that next...

The Rock Needs to Show Up

After Reigns wins the Royal Rumble, Rhodes should walk down to the ring to set up what most fans believe would be a singles match between the two foes. Instead, Johnson should interrupt the segment and enter the ring.

The Rock should claim that Reigns needs to go through him to get to the Undisputed WWE Championship, with the two men coming nose-to-nose before Rhodes breaks up the confrontation by announcing he'll defend the belt against both challengers in Las Vegas.

By booking Johnson for the end of the Royal Rumble, the company would build serious momentum heading into this week's Raw and SmackDown episodes and drive interest in the product at the most critical time of year.

With Reigns and Rhodes on television each week to build to the eventual Triple Threat match, The Rock could continue working his limited schedule, only appearing occasionally to keep the program fresh.

It's a win-win-win situation.

Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair Need to Win

There is genuine excitement surrounding the men's Royal Rumble match, but the women's edition of the Battle Royal is wide open in terms of possible winners.

While the roster is as deep as ever, WWE needs to go back to a tried-and-true performer for the 2025 winner. Whether it's Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair, the company needs a top name back on top, and two of the Four Horsewomen are the best candidates.

Triple H and WWE Creative have ample options, such as Bayley, Nia Jax, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, or someone from NXT, but they are building to a massive WrestleMania match that has the potential to main event Night 1.

Whether WWE goes back to a familiar story pitting Becky Lynch against Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship or moves toward something new with Charlotte Flair battling Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship, the company needs its biggest names at the top of the card again.

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics or catch the latest episode in the player above (some language NSFW).