Backstage note on when Stephanie McMahon's WWE return at WrestleMania 40 was planned (Exclusive)

Stephanie McMahon's WWE return was among the biggest talking points of WrestleMania 40. She opened Night Two with a strong promo that put over the current regime and branded it the "Paul Levesque Era."

Before WrestleMania weekend, Stephanie hadn't been seen in WWE for over a year. She resigned in January 2023 following Vince McMahon's return as Executive Chairman. So, when did plans to bring back The Billion Dollar Princess truly get underway?

Sources close to Sportskeeda Wrestling have confirmed that the wheels were set in motion for Stephanie McMahon's big return at least a month before WrestleMania 40. Her new entrance music was being worked on since then, as the former co-CEO came out with a remixed version of her theme, "Welcome to the Queendom."

McMahon had appeared two nights before WrestleMania Sunday, sitting front row at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. She replicated her look from 23 years ago to pay tribute to Paul Heyman, wearing an ECW Kangol hat during The Wiseman's induction.

However, despite her return at WrestleMania 40 being planned for over a month, it was just a one-off appearance. Stephanie McMahon isn't back in WWE in an official capacity.

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