Tiffany Stratton appears set for a long-anticipated return to WWE this Saturday at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, Stratton is already in Saudi Arabia and is expected to be an entrant in the Women’s Royal Rumble match. If plans hold, it would mark her first appearance on WWE television in nearly three months.
Stratton has been absent from SmackDown since November, a disappearance that sparked widespread speculation among fans. Early theories suggested her time away was the result of a post-title-loss “creative reset,” but more recent reporting has clarified the situation.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Stratton’s hiatus was due to a physical setback, confirming that she has been recovering from an undisclosed injury. That explanation aligns with the abrupt pause in her push late in 2025.
Stratton’s last match took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1, 2025, where she lost the WWE Women’s Championship to Jade Cargill. The bout notably lasted under six minutes—an unusually short duration for a title match. In retrospect, that may have been a protective decision tied to the injury either occurring or being aggravated during the contest.
The loss left a noticeable gap in the women’s division, as Stratton had firmly established herself as one of WWE’s top heels throughout 2025. Her breakout year included winning the Money in the Bank briefcase and successfully cashing in to capture the championship.
If Stratton does indeed return at the Royal Rumble, she would immediately become one of the favorites to win the 30-woman over-the-top-rope battle royal. A victory would earn her a championship opportunity at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas—potentially setting the stage for a direct path back to the title she lost to Cargill.
With her return seemingly imminent, all eyes will be on whether “Tiffy Time” officially resumes when the countdown clock hits zero.
