When will Nikkita Lyons return to WWE? The 23-year-old NXT star's devastating injury explained

Nikkita Lyons is considered a promising talent on NXT. Her impressive background in MMA and overall persona enabled her to garner a strong stance among fans. Last week, she suffered a torn ACL and meniscus at the hands of an unknown assailant.

The 23-year-old last competed on NXT Level Up on January 17 this year. She went up against Jakara Jackson in a successful bout. In the past couple of months, Lyons formed an alliance with Zoey Starks to contend for the NXT Women's Tag Team Titles. However, things went sour when tensions started brewing between the two, given their inability to capture gold in November last year.

Last week, The Lioness was attacked in the NXT parking lot. By the time news of the incident traveled, she was spotted nursing her injured leg with multiple suspects around.

On this week's edition of NXT, WWE shared an update from the 23-year-old on the success of her surgery and showcased her gratitude to the medical team involved. However, she did not give a definite timeline for her return. Given the extent of the injury, they normally have a recovery period of about six to nine months.

Nikkita Lyons competed in the 20-women battle royal at New Year's Evil, which Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne won.

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Who are the suspects in Nikkita Lyons' assault on NXT?

Nikkita Lyons crossed paths with many rising talents within her two-year association with the brand. The NXT parking lot has borne witness to many assaults and rivalries.

On the latest edition of NXT, multiple suspects were spotted in the footage of Nikkita Lyons' injury. These included a few of the NXT Superstar's rivals like Wendy Choo, Indi Hartwell, Arianna Grace, and Elektra Lopez, among others.

While Lyons has not had a title win on the developmental brand, her immense display of athleticism and diversified wrestling skills, merged with her mixed martial arts background, has proven to work well in her favor.