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Nia Jax turned down the opportunity to return to WWE as a participant in the 2022 Women’s Royal Rumble match.
Several former superstars competed in the 30-woman match on Saturday, including The Bella Twins and IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion Mickie James. The IInspiration, formerly known as The IIconics, were approached about returning, but they rejected WWE’s offer.
Jax confirmed on Renee Paquette’s The Sessions podcast that WWE’s Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis also reached out to her:
“I was like, ‘Oh, f*** no, I’m not coming back.’ He was like, ‘Oh, well, we’d like to offer you this.’ I said, ‘First of all, I already know I’m still under my 90 days. You’re still gonna be paying me anyways, so you’re not offering me anything. No, I’m not f***ing coming back. Absolutely f***ing not.’”
Jax started “hysterically laughing” when she picked up the phone because she initially thought one of her friends was impersonating Laurinaitis. She only realized it was really him when he informed her it was an “official call.”
John Laurinaitis wanted to add Nia Jax to a list of potential WWE Royal Rumble entrants
Although he reached out to Nia Jax about the Royal Rumble, John Laurinaitis did not guarantee the recently released superstar a spot in the match.
According to Jax, she would only have been added to a list of potential entrants if she agreed to return. WWE Chairman Vince McMahon then had the final say on whether or not she would appear.
“They were accumulating a list. They wanted to offer me the opportunity, accumulate a list that they send to Vince, then Vince goes through the list and says who he wants and who he doesn’t. I was like, ‘So you’re asking me to be part of a list to go to the next step? F*** no, how much more can you s*** on me, dude?’” Jax added.
The 37-year-old heard from somebody in WWE that the company did not want her to feel left out. In Jax's opinion, that reason was “bulls***” and they only approached her due to the low number of female superstars on the main roster.
Please credit The Sessions and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
