At WrestleMania 42 this April in Las Vegas, WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill will defend her title against Rhea Ripley. However, that wasn't what WWE originally had planned for the former AEW star at the Show of Shows.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reveals that WWE intended for Bianca Belair to win either the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber matches, setting the stage for a clash with her former tag team partner at WrestleMania.
Unfortunately, the complications with her finger surgery have derailed those plans, and there's nothing to suggest the EST will return this side of the annual PLE.
Belair has been sidelined since all the way back at WrestleMania 41 in April 2025, meaning the EST has been on the shelf for a better part of a year.
She's only made a handful of appearances during that time, including serving as a guest referee for Jade Cargill's match with Naomi at last year's Evolution PLE.
Despite Belair's continued WWE absence, @WrestleVotes is reporting that there are plans for a record-breaking number of women's matches on the Grandest Stage of Them All in Sin City. The only other confirmed match as of now is Women's World Champion Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan, though a Women's Intercontinental Championship rematch between AJ Lee and Becky Lynch is also expected.
In other WrestleMania news, LA Knight has confirmed that he's, surprisingly, completely in the dark about what WWE has planned for him.
"Don’t worry about the details because I don’t have any. I know about as much as you know, and people find that hard to believe, but in all honesty, that’s just wrestling," the Megastar shared. "I don’t know a lot, I’d like to know more, but all I know is it’s gonna be, as it always is, a gigantic week, it’s gonna be a gigantic success, people coming from all corners of the world to Las Vegas for what is essentially our big bash."
"I’m just looking forward to that whole environment, and what that turns into, and that whole week and weekend, and I always love going to Vegas."
It's previously been reported that WWE planned to pit Knight against Brock Lesnar, due to The Beast's association with The Vision and as a follow-up to him and Cody Rhodes eliminating the former WWE Champion from the Royal Rumble. Whether that happens is TBD.
As always, stay tuned for updates as we have them.