Alexa Bliss confirmed that her return to WWE was made just hours before the 2025 Royal Rumble event, making it a genuine last-minute decision. After being absent from WWE since her 2023 Royal Rumble match against Bianca Belair for the RAW Women’s Championship, Bliss’s unexpected appearance reignited excitement among fans. The focus keyword “Alexa Bliss last minute return” reflects how sudden and unplanned her comeback truly was.
According to reports from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, contract negotiations delayed the decision to bring Bliss back just before the event. On a recent episode of the Nikki & Brie show, Bliss explained the timeline of events that led to her return.
“I got the call at midnight the night before,”
she said.
“Yeah, midnight, the night before. So I got the call [then], and it wasn’t fully decided until like 4 am. And then I get a call at 5. They’re like, ‘Alright, we need you on a plane by 10 am.’”
A Last-Minute Journey to the Royal Rumble Venue
Bliss flew to Cincinnati instead of Indianapolis, where the Royal Rumble was held, to keep her return under wraps. Arriving late in the day, she made her way quietly to the arena.
“Drove in, had to cover up. Got snuck into a back room. There was hair and makeup, but I didn’t get there until 4 [pm]. You guys know how this works; I didn’t get there until 4. We were the first match starting at 6,”
Bliss said.
Bliss’s arrival just two hours before her match kept fans and fellow wrestlers unaware of her presence. She recounted the personal challenges of preparing on such short notice, sharing the exhaustion involved in the process.
“So I got there at 4, I have someone in there that’s ready to do my hair. I haven’t slept, because this was an all-night process of figuring out [if I was returning or not]. I hadn’t slept or eaten, I was deliriously tired,”
she explained.
Navigating the Last-Minute Return with Secrecy and Stress
In describing the chaotic night leading up to her flight, Bliss revealed how she prepared quietly at home without waking her baby. She described rifling through her old wrestling gear in the early hours while informing her husband, Ryan Cabrera, of the sudden plan.
“I’m in my house at 3 am with a phone light because I’m not trying to wake up the baby. Because my gear is in there, like next to her closet,”
she said.
She recalled discussing the situation with Cabrera:
“I’m looking through old gear, thinking ‘What would still fit me?’ And I told Ryan [Cabrera], ‘Hey, I think I’m going to [the Royal] Rumble.’ And he’s like, ‘Huh?’ I go, ‘Do you wanna come?’ He’s like, ‘I’m so tired, what?’ So I said, ‘Nevermind…’ and I just go and get on a plane, go and just… no one knew I was there, not even the girls,”
Bliss shared.
“They didn’t know I was there until I was in Gorilla. No one, no one knew I was there.”
Replaced Competitor and Impact on Royal Rumble Night
Bliss entered the Royal Rumble match as the 21st participant, taking the place of Shotzi, who was initially slated to compete. Shotzi’s own whirlwind experience involved last-minute travel arrangements and learning about Bliss’s substitution, adding to the unpredictable atmosphere of the event. This unexpected replacement highlighted the fast-moving nature of WWE’s event planning and the need for readiness from its performers.
Alexa Bliss’s last-minute return not only shocked fans but also showcased her professionalism and readiness to perform under intense pressure. Moving forward, this surprise comeback could open doors for more spontaneous returns or storyline twists in WWE. Given the secrecy surrounding her reappearance, WWE audiences can expect more surprises as the year unfolds.
