Nia Jax’s return was pitched by T.J. Wilson.
Coming out in the number 30 spot in the 2023 women’s Royal Rumble was the returning Nia Jax. Jax had been released from WWE in November 2021.
She further opened up about her return while being interviewed by D.S. Shin of Ring The Belle. She spoke highly of WWE producer T.J. Wilson and stated that he was the one who pitched her return.
I get a call from the office and they were just like, ‘Hey, so, we are planning to have you in the Rumble’ and I was like, ‘What? Are you asking me or are you telling me? What?’ And I already know, I love T.J. (Wilson). T.J.’s hands down one of the best producers. Fit Finlay and T.J. have been huge in making Nia Jax who she is or was. They were so incredible and I already knew, T.J. pitched me for it because me and T.J. are really cool and so when he said that, I’m guessing he just assumed because T.J. and I are so cool and so I was like, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do this, let’s go’ and I called up my gear people, I called up all the boots people, my boot maker and I was like, ‘Listen, we gotta expedite this.’
The next installment of the WWE Draft is set to kick off April 28th. In 2016, Nia was drafted to Monday Night Raw. She was informed of the news while a Draft watch-party was being held at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
So the funny story about this, I was sitting in the very back (of the Performance Center while the 2016 WWE Draft was happening). Before I came in, I had a couple beverages. I had a few beverages because we didn’t know what was happening. None of us thought we were getting drafted. I didn’t have a clue at all. Nobody told me anything. So me and my roommate who’s next to me, Stewart, we were like, ‘Oh, let’s go have a couple drinks’ and then we Uber’d to the Performance Center and then we’re just sitting there and we’re like — we sat in the back and then they were like, ‘No, no. You gotta sit up front.’ I’m like, ‘Why? Why do I need to sit up front?’ And so then I’m sitting there and I’m on my phone, not even — I think I was texting my mom. She was like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m at the Performance Center… We have to sit here and watch’ so that’s why I was not even looking, not even paying attention, because I’m like, they’re not drafting me and then that’s literally when I heard that. I’m like, you’re freaking kidding me. You’re kidding me. I thought I could just slink in the back and be not noticed that night and then this happened… Just instantly sobered up. I’m like… okay! Yeah, it was a cool moment because I had zero clue. Getting moved to the front, I’m like, why am I getting moved up here? This is embarrassing.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Jax revealed that nZo/Real1 was supposed to guest referee the Raw Women’s Title match at WrestleMania 34. To read more on that, click here.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Ring The Belle with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.
