5-Time WWE Champion Expected To Miss WrestleMania 42
This year’s WrestleMania 42 will again take place at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, and according to recent reports, 5-time WWE Champion Bianca Belair might not be a part of it.
The EST suffered a finger injury during a triple threat match against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY at WrestleMania 41 in April 2025. During a risky spot, The Eradicator landed the Riptide directly on Belair’s hand, crushing her finger and shattering her knuckle joint in three places.
Initially, WWE and Belair expected that her recovery would only take 8 to 12 weeks, but unfortunately, the injured finger has taken longer to heal.
WWE Star Bianca Belair Undergoes Finger Surgery
In the last 10 months, Belair opted for natural healing and rehabilitation for her injured finger and avoided surgery. But unfortunately, she had to undergo one on February 16, 2026, to fix the lack of mobility in her finger.
Earlier, there were internal hopes that she would be involved at WrestleMania 42 in some capacity. However, now that she underwent corrective finger surgery, new reports claim that she might not make it to WrestleMania 42.
During a Q&A session on February 16, WrestleVotes addressed Belair’s injury, stating that she may have to miss WrestleMania 42 because of her recent surgery.
“Unfortunately, it would seem that since she’s having surgery this week, that takes her off WrestleMania.”
Belair has described her recovery journey as a nightmare, as she didn’t think a finger injury could lead to missing so much in-ring time. Despite the upset, she has reportedly maintained a positive mindset throughout her hiatus.
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