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WWE Superstar Nia Jax has spoken candidly about her mental health struggles in WWE in the wake of her traumatic last 18 months.
The dominant Monday Night Raw Superstar is finally back in action on WWE's Red brand after more than a year on the sidelines.
That challenging period has certainly left its mark on Nia Jax, who had to endure the physical and mental toll of the surgery and all that came with it.
Prior to the injury, which left her needing double ACL surgery, Jax was also left reeling after fan backlash saw her come under the spotlight for accidentally injuring Becky Lynch prior to the previous year's Survivor Series.
Nia Jax opens up on mental health struggles after injuries and injuring Becky Lynch
Lynch had been due to meet Ronda Rousey in one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the year but had to pull out after Nia Jax delivered an errant punch that left her concussed and unable to compete.
That, coupled with the enormous stress of such a complicated and painful surgery, left Nia Jax with plenty of time to contemplate her return to the ring. And she's now admitted that was far from an easy time.
In an interview with the UK's Daily Star she said:
"Even before the surgery, I was going through a mental battle with myself with the whole Becky punch. That really got to me. So taking a year off to physically get prepared, I really dove into self-help. When you just dive into becoming such a strong performer in this incredible business, you lose your sense of self and, when you're injured, it starts to become blurred. That whole part of your life just stops and you feel like you're forgotten, you just don't know how to carry on with your life afterward.
Nia Jax clearly took strength from her recovery and just a short time after returning, she now challenges Asuka for the RAW Women's title at this Sunday's Backlash pay per view.
Jax added:
"The year off really helped me re-build who I am at my core. I was able to become mentally strong as well as physically strong."
Backlash airs on Sunday night on WWE Network. For more details visit wwe.com.
