WWE: More on Nia Jax WWE Return, Matt Riddle Update, LA Knight & WWE Reportedly Not Close to New Deal

More on Nia Jax’s WWE Return & Contract Status Update

As noted before, Monday’s WWE RAW show in Norfolk, Virginia featured Nia Jax making her surprise return to WWE.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Jax had signed a new deal with WWE over a month ago and that WWE’s hiring freeze for new signings effectively ended this summer.

In regards to the timing of Jax’s return and WWE’s sale to Endeavor and merger with UFC, it was reported that her return was just a coincidence and not something specifically tied to WWE closing out their sale this week. Several within WWE reportedly had believed that Jax would have returned sooner on WWE television.

This was Jax’s first appearance in WWE since her original release from the company in November of 2021.

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Matt Riddle Reportedly Pulled from Monday’s RAW Show Over Illness

As noted before, Matt Riddle was involved in an incident this past Saturday at the JFK Airport in New York City, New York. This incident revolved around Riddle acting disorderly while disembarking his flight and later accusing a Port Authority officer of sexually harassing him which led to a bigger investigation being launched.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that WWE officials had pulled Riddle from their plans for Monday’s RAW show in Norfolk, Virginia and this weekend’s set of house show events in Idaho and Washington.

While the reason for Riddle’s removal from those shows was not initially known nor confirmed to be related to his recent airport incident, Johnson reported in a follow-up report that the reason why Riddle was pulled from Monday’s RAW show was due to him currently dealing with a “medical illness.”

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LA Knight & WWE Reportedly “Far Apart” on Talks for Potential New Contract

As noted before, LA Knight and WWE are currently in negotiations for a potential new long-term contract with the company.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Knight and WWE officials currently are “far apart” on the monetary amount for this potential new contract. It was reported that those spoken to confirmed that WWE’s offer is for five-years in length but the current belief is that no deal is likely to be made anytime soon due to how far apart both sides are in talks.

Knight’s current contract with WWE reportedly still has over a year and a half left and does not expire until well into 2025.

In regards to WWE’s plans for a mega push for Knight, one high level WWE official reportedly stated that the reports of Knight’s planned push being tied to him signing a new contract is not true. This same person reportedly stated that a significant number of wrestlers on the roster currently have deals coming up next year but are still receiving big pushes in the company.