Injured Top WWE Star Returns On SmackDown
A former WWE Women’s Champion returned to SmackDown while also showing that she is still recovering from an injury.
The Women’s World Title match at WrestleMania 41 was an outstanding matchup as Iyo Sky retained her title against former champions Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. Many people consider it one of the best women’s matches in WrestleMania history, as well as WWE history.
Sadly, for Bianca Belair, it was also a night when she suffered an injury. Belair has been out of action since WrestleMania due to suffering multiple broken fingers on her left hand during the match.
Since WWE SmackDown was in her hometown of Knoxville, the former Tennesse Volunteer track star showed up dressed in orange to open the show.
During her promo, Belair was greeted with “EST” chants. They played the University of Tennessee’s fight song and the fans sang along with it.
Belair said it’s her hometown, her safe space. She pointed out her parents in the front row, and she thanked the fans for showing up for her. Belair said she had to come back to her safe space to heal.
As she continued, Belair discussed how she’s not 100%, but she’ll continue to work hard to return and prove she’s the EST of Tennessee and the EST of WWE. Belair welcomed us to Smackdown.
After that, the good times ended because Belair’s former tag team partner Naomi showed up and said some bizarre things, including how she broke into the home of Belair’s parents and looked through photo albums.
Bianca Belair Thankful For Sasha Banks Helping Her In WWE
When the former Women’s Champion Bianca Belair was a guest on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast, she talked about the importance of representation.
“It’s so important. I always use the quote, representation is not a request, it’s a requirement. Because representation, it shows you what the possibilities are out there for you. A lot of times, you do need to see that example. It takes a special person to say, I want to do that, but I don’t see anybody else doing that, so I’m gonna be the first person to do it and then I can be representation and open the doors for other people. It takes a lot of guts and courage and sometimes, you just don’t know.
So, representation is super important. I feel like I always try to remember that exact with what I’m doing now and it brings a purpose to what you’re doing. I think that’s really what that moment was about and that’s why that moment was so special.”
Bianca Belair was speaking about her WrestleMania 37 moment when she headlined the Saturday version of the show against Sasha Banks, who is now known as AEW’s Mercedes Mone.
“I mean, you’re main eventing WrestleMania for one. If you ask any talent in WWE, ‘What is your goal in WWE’, it’s to main event WrestleMania. I was able to do that my first year on the main roster. To do it with someone like Sasha, she took such great care of me in that match because I was so new.
The fact that I won that match, but I remember talking and telling her that was more than just a WrestleMania match. I’ve only watched that match back once or twice because I get so emotional.”
There is no official word for when Belair will return from her broken fingers injury.