5 WWE Superstars Nikki Bella could face upon her return in a first-time-ever match

WWE broke some big news over the past few days. A major return will be taking place on Monday Night RAW tonight, with Nikki Bella set to appear. However, the Hall of Famer's role on the show isn't yet clear.

This will be Bella's first major appearance since she made a shocking return during the Women's Royal Rumble Match earlier this year. This was after both she and her sister had a very public split from World Wrestling Entertainment, and fans were certainly happy to see the 41-year-old back in the mix.

She will presumably be competing at Evolution II and potentially on other programs as well. There are a lot of new stars in the company since Bella was last active, which raises some interesting scenarios. There are numerous first-time matches that the Hall of Famer could have with a number of quality stars across RAW and SmackDown.

Below are five WWE Superstars Nikki Bella could face upon her return in a first-time-ever match:

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#5. Roxanne Perez is a big fan of Nikki Bella's old rival AJ Lee

Roxanne Perez is the future of women's pro wrestling. On the black and silver brand, she has held the NXT Women's Championship twice and the NXT Women's Tag Team Title once. On WWE's main roster, Perez has already set the record for the longest time in a Women's Royal Rumble Match.

Interestingly, Roxanne Perez's idol and role model in the field of wrestling is WWE legend AJ Lee. She has routinely and publicly asked for Lee to return to the company and modeled herself after the former General Manager.

AJ Lee happened to be one of Nikki Bella's greatest rivals. It would be quite cool to see a diehard Lee fan battle it out against the Hall of Famer.

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#4. Nikki Bella and Stephanie Vaquer are from different eras

Stephanie Vaquer is one of the best female wrestlers in the world today. While main roster WWE fans are just getting to know how good she is, Vaquer has held multiple titles internationally and on NXT.

La Primera is one of the hardest-working women in wrestling, and a testament to that fact was her three matches during the Money in the Bank / Worlds Collide weekend. This included a Six-Woman Tag Team Match on SmackDown on Friday, a Tag Team bout at Worlds Collide, and finally a Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match to open the PLE.

Like many on this list, Vaquer and Bella are from completely different eras in wrestling. That makes the idea of a bout between them so interesting. How could the 41-year-old stack up to this upstart who is taking RAW by storm?

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#3. She could challenge Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship

Tiffany Stratton is one of the most popular female stars in professional wrestling today. She was a heel during her tenure on NXT and started the same way on the main roster. However, WWE fans took to her very quickly, and her time as a heel ended with her successful MITB cash-in on Nia Jax.

The Buff Barbie is the top female athlete on Friday Night SmackDown. She is the reigning WWE Women's Champion and won the title at the beginning of the year. She has since retained the gold against massive names like Nia Jax, Bayley, and Charlotte Flair.

There is a chance that Nikki Bella wants one last major World Title. If she does, challenging Tiffany Stratton would make a lot of sense. The two blew a lot of minds in February when they took a picture together. Could this lead to a generational clash, perhaps at Evolution? Only time will tell.

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#2. Nikki Bella and IYO SKY could fight

IYO SKY has done a lot in WWE despite having many doubters. On the black and silver brand, she held both tag team gold and the coveted NXT Women's Championship. She has more than replicated that success on the main roster, as she's held World Titles on both RAW and SmackDown.

The Genius of the Sky is on top of the world right now on RAW, as she's the Women's World Champion. She won the belt leading up to WrestleMania 41 and has successfully defended the gold against both Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley.

Bella could also try going after IYO SKY in her effort to win one last World Title. It would be fascinating to see the two work together, as their in-ring styles are dramatically different. Still, a fight between them could be a great watch.

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#1. Rhea Ripley and Nikki Bella could fight for the first time

Rhea Ripley is a multi-time champion in WWE. She has held the Women's World Title, the NXT Women's Championship, the NXT UK Women's Championship, and more. She is also a Royal Rumble winner.

To many fans, The Eradicator is the definition of what a top female performer is and should be. She has everything you could want in a top star, and Nikki Bella has acknowledged this, as she has spoken highly of Ripley in the past.

If Bella wants a big-time first-time-ever match, a bout with Rhea Ripley could be the one that gets the most attention. Everybody pays attention to The Eradicator, and she routinely gets the biggest pops on shows. This match would generate plenty of buzz.