Kiana James is officially back.
The 28-year-old star returned to WWE in-ring action on Friday, July 18, 2025, during Main Event tapings before SmackDown at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. This marked James first match in over a yearending a 398-day absence from WWE television.
Her comeback match saw her take on Michin in a taped bout that will air this Thursday on WWE Main Event via Hulu. While the match itself was a major moment, it wasnt the only appearance James made that night.
Later in the SmackDown broadcast, James appeared in the background of a backstage segment featuring Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. Eagle-eyed fans spotted her in deep conversation with Womens United States Champion Giuliaa subtle moment that immediately had social media running wild with speculation about a potential alliance.
James was previously sidelined with a serious knee injury she suffered shortly after her main roster debut. Her last match before going down took place on June 17, 2024, in a Money in the Bank qualifying match on Raw against IYO SKY and Zelina Vega. That injury came just weeks after being drafted from NXT to Raw.
In April of this year, James gave an update on her recovery, confirming that she had been rehabbing a knee issue. Since then, shed been spotted backstage at several eventsincluding Evolution and a recent episode of SmackDown in Lexingtonhinting that her return was getting close.
Before her injury, James had built serious momentum in NXT, where she held the NXT Womens Tag Team Titles with Fallon Henley. She also feuded with top names like Roxanne Perez, Tiffany Stratton, Lyra Valkyria, and even Becky Lynch.
WWE signed James in 2022, and after two years of rising through the NXT ranks, her main roster story is finally back on track.
Kiana James has made her movebut is that Giulia connection a sign of whats next? Could WWEs womens division be getting a new power duo? Drop your predictions in the comments and let us know what you think.
