Absent WWE Star Backstage At SmackDown

A WWE superstar who has missed a year of action is expected to be at SmackDown.

Kiana James is a former NXT superstar who got called up to the main roster in the spring 2024 WWE Draft. Unfortunately for Kiana, she only wrestled two matches on Raw before suffering a serious knee injury that has kept her out of action for one year.

The last match James had in WWE was nearly one year ago, on the June 17, 2024, edition of Raw, where she lost a triple threat match to Iyo Sky, with Zelina Vega also participating in the match.

Fans on social media are aware that James has been working hard to return and has often been seen with Charlotte Flair, who missed a year of action in 2024 due to a knee injury. It is clear that they have bonded over their shared experiences with injury.

Fightful Select reports that Kiana James was brought to Lexington, Kentucky, for the June 13th edition of WWE SmackDown. It was not known if James would be on the show, or if she was just brought there to visit, or to make plans regarding her return.

WWE Officials Excited About Kiana James’ Return

It was reported by Cory Hays of Bodyslam.net in May that WWE officials were “high” on James as a performer and admired her work ethic while injured.

Several within WWE are very high on Kiana James. Her work ethic and dedication during rehab caught the eyes of a few and I’d expect her to get a push in the next year once she returns.

During her NXT run, James worked mostly as a heel who excelled in the business world, as well as wrestling. She was a NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion with Fallon Henley, but James has not won any singles titles in her career yet.