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Tag: Kiana James

  • Kiana James on Injury Comeback: \”Let It Define Me or Use It\”

    WWE superstar Kiana James recently discussed the knee injury that derailed her 2024 main roster debut and what she did with that time.

    She recently spoke to TMZ\’s Inside The Ring ahead of the Women\’s Elimination Chamber match and revealed that the injury initially took an emotional toll. However, she chose to use the setback as motivation instead of letting it define her. She then managed to come back stronger. James explained:

    \”Emotionally it took a toll at first, because it\’s like you work so hard to get to that point and then you feel like it\’s ripped away from you. But then that mental toughness comes in and it\’s like — okay, this happened, I can\’t change it, so I can either let it define me or I can use it. And I decided: am I going to be someone where this defines my career, or is this just going to be something that happened? And I made a promise to myself that I would come back better and stronger.\”

    Turning Rehab Into a Film Room

    James, who was drafted to Raw in April 2024 and suffered the injury just weeks later, used the downtime for something she hadn\’t had time to do since entering WWE: a deep study of the craft.

    \”I took the time, when I wasn\’t able to be in the ring or training in the gym, to start studying more and watching more film,\” she said. \”Because coming into WWE, everything happened really fast for me. I took my first bump in April of 2021 and then I was signed in 2022. So it was just like, you\’re on TV — sink or swim, girl. The knee injury really allowed me to take a step back and watch film. I wasn\’t a lifelong fan, so there\’s decades of wrestling I can go back and watch and study. I do think I came back stronger.\”

    James made her return to WWE action in July 2025, more than a year after going down with the injury.

    Trusting the Body Again

    Coming back from knee surgery carries its own psychological hurdles, and James addressed the mental side of that transition directly.

    \”Coming back and getting the opportunities and that momentum feels amazing, but the first time going in, it\’s like — are we a little nervous?\” she said. \”But you just have to trust your body, trust the training. Once I let that mental crutch fall, it was just like riding a bike.\”

    She also credited mental strength as the foundation of her competitive edge overall.

    \”I definitely feel the nerves — I get nervous just like everyone else, but I use it to fuel me. I understand how powerful your mind is, and being able to take that nervous energy and channel it into something productive — that\’s kind of what I\’ve done thus far and it\’s worked for me.\”

    The Promise, Now Being Kept

    James entered the 2026 Royal Rumble at number three and lasted 27 minutes — the biggest match of her career to that point. She described it as the fulfillment of what she\’d been building toward during recovery.

    \”Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,\” she said. \”I\’ve been working so hard towards getting an opportunity like this, so I was like, \’This is it — go do your thing.\’\”

    She now enters the Elimination Chamber on February 28 as one of six women with a potential WrestleMania 42 title shot on the line.

  • Kiana James on Pinning Charlotte Flair: \”Iron Sharpens Iron\”

    The up-and-coming WWE Superstar Kiana James recently opened up about pinning multi-time Women\’s Champion Charlotte Flair on SmackDown and securing a spot in the Women\’s Elimination Chamber match. It was a memorable win for James, but that carried personal weight given how their relationship developed during her injury recovery.

    Speaking with TMZ\’s Inside The Ring days before the Women\’s Elimination Chamber, James said that the moment was \’bittersweet\’ for her. She explained:

    \”There\’s a bittersweet to that, because we\’ve become partners in the gym, training through knee rehab and things like that. But also, taking a step back and realizing — this is the most decorated woman in WWE of all time. Being able to say: you just did that. You just pinned the best of the best. It was a great moment for me and something I\’ll definitely remember for a long time.\”

    Flair and James were spotted training together at Flatbacks Wrestling School during their overlapping rehabilitation periods, which made the eventual SmackDown qualifying win an unusual moment, defeating the woman who helped her get back.

    Iron Sharpens Iron

    James was quick to point out that their personal and professional relationship survived the result just fine.

    \”It\’s surreal — pinning Charlotte Flair,\” she said. \”But at the end of the day, our personal relationship and our professional relationship — iron sharpens iron. When you have someone in the locker room who makes you want to become better, I think win or lose, it\’s just: okay, now I have to step up. Our camaraderie kind of stays — we just push each other in that way.\”

    As for how Flair is handling the loss? James kept it light.

    \”If you see her Twitter, she\’s fine. She\’ll be fine. If I called her up and was like, \’Hey, let\’s get in the gym\’ — I think we could have a gym session, push each other, and be all right.\”

    Mentored by the Best in the Building

    Flair isn\’t the only top name James has leaned on. She\’s been deliberately building a mentorship network since arriving on the main roster, seeking out whoever she can learn from.

    \”On the main roster, obviously I have a relationship with Charlotte Flair, so she\’s been a great mentor — running things by her,\” James said. \”And then recently we\’ve been doing more live events, so I\’ve been able to pick Cody\’s brain and ask him his opinion on things. It\’s so wild to have people of such stature within the company accessible to me. Using your resources, going to these people and saying I see the success you\’ve had and I want to get to that level — pulling from their experiences has been really beneficial.\”

    Earlier in her career, it was Tyler Breeze and Shawn Spears at Flatbacks who shaped her approach.

    \”From my very first day of training up until this week, they\’ve continued to guide me throughout my entire career,\” she said. \”Be a sponge — I took that literally.\”

    James is prepping for the Women\’s Elimination Chamber on February 28th with a WrestleMania 42 title opportunity on the line.

  • Kiana James on Elimination Chamber: \”Eyes on the Prize\”

    WWE\’s rising superstar Kiana James recently sat down with TMZ\’s Inside The Ring ahead of the Women\’s Elimination Chamber match in what she described as her first major interview outside of WWE\’s own coverage — and she made clear this moment is anything but accidental.

    \”These kinds of matches can change the trajectory of your career,\” James said. \”You can go from the path you\’re on and then go straight to WrestleMania. So just having eyes on the prize and really being focused on the opportunity is what\’s getting me through this week.\”

    The Blueprint Was Always the Plan

    James has spent the past few months at ringside as a manager alongside WWE Women\’s United States Champion Giulia. However, she pushed back on any suggestion that the role was passive. She\’s been cataloguing weaknesses the entire time.

    \”My mindset going into any match, whether I\’m competing or ringside with Giulia, is analyzing the situation and being three steps ahead,\” James said.

    \”I\’ve been able to be ringside and get to study all of these women — they\’ve almost given me a blueprint. I\’ve seen their strengths, I\’ve seen their weaknesses. And although it may look like I\’m just a little cheerleader, I\’m taking notes and using everything I\’ve gathered to make strategic decisions for myself in the ring. Every move is calculated — analyzing risk versus reward and capitalizing on whatever opportunity, by any means necessary.\”

    James returned from a lengthy injury absence and has since been building momentum heading into this match.

    Using the Chamber Structure as a Weapon

    She\’s already done the tactical breakdown on the match environment itself — the cage, the pods, everything inside the structure.

    \”The landscape of the Elimination Chamber is something so unique,\” James said. \”You have the cage, you have the pods — there\’s so many things my mind\’s going to that I can work with: using them as a weapon, using them to my advantage. And then looking at my opponents — you have all different types of women, all different types of athletes in there — looking at their strengths and weaknesses and where I can attack the low-hanging fruit and really capitalize.\”

    She also noted that her film study has extended beyond the women\’s division, adding that there\’s plenty to learn from the men\’s Elimination Chamber matches as well.

    \”There\’s a lot we can learn from the men,\” she said. \”I\’ve been on the study kick this week, watching all the old Elimination Chambers and really honing in on what my strategy is.\”

    Already Looking at Jade Cargill

    If James wins the Chamber, she has a clear target in mind for WrestleMania 42. Jade Cargill currently holds the Women\’s Championship heading into the spring, and James says she\’s already done her homework.

    \”The competitive edge that I have is right up here,\” James said, tapping her head. \”I\’ve been studying — watching her strengths, weaknesses, what are her go-tos, how does she work in the ring. If I went into that match, I\’m definitely prepared and I have some tricks in my handbag that I\’d be more than ready to get after it with Jade.\”

    The Women\’s Elimination Chamber match takes place February 28th at the United Center in Chicago.

  • Kiana James on Tom Brady, Kardashians, and What\’s in the Bag

    WWE\’s rising superstar Kiana James recently got candid about Tom Brady\’s comments about the industry. She sat down with TMZ\’s Inside The Ring ahead of the Women\’s Elimination Chamber and gave a stern response to NFL legend Tom Brady.

    Tom Brady Called WWE \”Cute\” — James Has a Response

    Brady\’s recent comments dismissing WWE drew plenty of reaction across the industry, and James had a measured but pointed take.

    \”I don\’t want to fault anyone for their ignorance,\” she said. \”When you\’re unfamiliar with something, it\’s fair that there is a level of ignorance there. But the best answer is to get him in a ring — have him run the ropes, have him take a bump, and then let\’s see what his answer is.\”

    When hosts asked how a Brady vs. Logan Paul match would go, she didn\’t hesitate.

    \”We all know that Logan Paul would whip his ass. No training. There\’s no question. I think Tom Brady would have to take the L immediately. Good luck — I love Tom Brady, but good luck.\”

    Dream Tag Partners: The Kardashians

    Given a free pick for a celebrity tag team match, James went full fan mode.

    \”I\’m such a Kardashian fan, so I would say two Kardashian sisters,\” she said. \”I\’m a Kim girl, but maybe Kim and Khloé. The Kardashians — so many eyes on that match just to see it.\”

    What\’s in the Bag?

    Kiana James\’ mysterious handbag has become one of the more entertaining ongoing questions in her WWE run, and James kept the mystique intact.

    \”Full of secrets. Some documents — some secret documents. It might be weapons,\” she said. \”There was a brick in there in NXT. Who knows what I\’ve been stuffing in that bag for the last few weeks.\”

    On the question of spicy backstage gossip, she said:

    \”I don\’t have any spicy tea because I like to keep my handbag zipped.\”

    Alliance with Giulia

    Despite the corporate, transactional nature of their on-screen alliance, James had nothing but warmth for the WWE Women\’s United States Champion Giulia.

    \”Giulia is like the sweetest ever,\” she said. \”I\’m so happy to be with her.\”

    James also spoke to the practical element of their working relationship, noting she helps bridge the language barrier for \’The Beautiful Madness.\’

    \”This is a business. Backstage we have our general manager, we have talent, we have a locker room relationship — and I think I\’m able to kind of bridge that gap for her.\”

    James returned from over a year away due to a knee injury and now gearing up for the Women\’s Elimination Chamber on February 28th with a WrestleMania 42 championship opportunity on the line.

  • Injured WWE Star Returns On SmackDown With New Role

    The July 25, episode of WWE SmackDown saw the return of a star who\’s been out injured for over a year, though they won\’t be competing just yet. On the show, Kiana James made her long-awaited return, but as the advocate of Women\’s U.S. Champion Giulia.

    Backstage, Zelina Vega was addressing another shot at the WWE Women’s United States Championship, but Giulia didn’t have to speak. Instead, James spoke on behalf of the Beautiful Madness, and berated Vega. In the end, this culminated with a title match being made for the go-home SmackDown before WWE SummerSlam.

    While the pairing may seem odd, it makes sense that Giulia is partnered with a native English language speaker on TV. While Giulia has made strides in learning the language, WWE clearly feels that having a native speaker is the right call at this time.

    James will have the chance to test herself as Giulia\’s advocate next week when the Women\’s U.S Title is on the line. It remains to be seen if this paring proves to be a successful endeavor.

    Kiana James Returns to WWE Action After 15-Month Injury Layoff

  • Kiana James Returns to WWE Action After 15-Month Injury Layoff

    Kiana James made her long-awaited return to in-ring competition on Friday, July 18, 2025, during the Main Event tapings that took place before SmackDown in San Antonio, Texas. This marked her first match in over a year, ending a 398-day absence from WWE TV.

    James faced Michin in her comeback bout during the Main Event tapings at the Frost Bank Center. The match was taped ahead of the SmackDown broadcast and will air on WWE Main Event, which streams every Thursday on Hulu.

    Following her Main Event return, James made a subtle on-screen appearance during Friday\’s SmackDown broadcast. She was spotted in the background of a backstage segment featuring Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, where she appeared to be in conversation with Women\’s United States Champion Giulia. This brief cameo got fans on social media speculating about a potential new alliance between the two.

    Injury and Recovery Timeline

    James had been sidelined since June 17, 2024, when she last competed in a Money in the Bank qualifying triple threat match on WWE Raw against IYO SKY and Zelina Vega. She suffered a serious leg injury just weeks after being drafted to the Raw brand in April 2024.

    The timing of her injury was particularly unfortunate, as James had only recently been called up from NXT to the main roster during the 2024 WWE Draft. She managed to secure just one victory on Raw – defeating Natalya in early June – before the injury occurred.

    In April 2025, James confirmed she had been dealing with a knee injury and was in the middle of rehabilitation. Recent reports indicated she had been cleared or was nearing clearance over a month ago, with sightings backstage at WWE shows including Evolution and a previous SmackDown event in Lexington, Kentucky.

    Before her injury, James had established herself as a promising talent in NXT, where she held the NXT Women\’s Tag Team Championship alongside Fallon Henley. During her time in developmental, she feuded with top stars including Roxanne Perez, Tiffany Stratton, Lyra Valkyria, and even Becky Lynch.

    The 28-year-old from Sioux City, Iowa, originally signed with WWE in 2022 and spent two years building her reputation in NXT before her main roster call-up.

  • Injured Star Returns Before WWE SmackDown After A Year Out Of Action

    One WWE Superstar was finally able to make a return to the ring before the latest episode of SmackDown after being out with an injury for over a year. Kiana James makes her in-ring retun during the Main Event tapings where she battled Michin. Despite this being a big night for James, it was Michin who got the victory.

    James wasn\’t just kept to the WWE Main Event taping. On SmackDown, she was spotted by eagle-eyed fans in the background of a segment, speaking to Women’s United States Champion Giulia.

    James had been out of action since June 2024, when she suffered a leg injury. Prior to the Michin match, her most recent in-ring encounter saw IYO SKY beat James and Zelina Vega on WWE Raw.

    James was moved to Raw in the 2024 WWE Draft, but her injury has robbed her of the chance to develop on TV. It remains to be seen what\’s next for Kiana James after this long-awaited return.

  • Injured WWE Star In Town For SmackDown

    Fightful Select reports Kiana James was brought to Lexington, Kentucky, for the June 13th episode of Friday Night SmackDown. It is not yet known if she is scheduled to appear on the broadcast.

    James has been sidelined with a leg injury since June 2024. Her last televised match was a Money in the Bank qualifying match on Raw against Iyo Sky and Zelina Vega. Shortly after being drafted from NXT to Raw in the spring of 2024, the injury halted her initial push on the main roster.

    Before her injury, James had made a name for herself in NXT, where she held the NXT Women\’s Tag Team Championship with Fallon Henley. Reports from May 2025 indicated that she was close to being medically cleared for an in-ring return. Her presence at the SmackDown event suggests her return to WWE programming could happen soon.

    However, that has yet to be confirmed. What has been announced are three notable appearances.

    Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena, Ms. Money in the Bank Naomi, and WWE United States Champion Jacob Fatu have been announced for the show.

  • Kiana James Reveals Injury Status and Recovery Efforts

    Kiana James has confirmed she is recovering from a leg injury that has kept her off WWE television in recent months. In a recent video shared on social media, James offered a glimpse into her rehabilitation process, emphasizing personal strength with the caption, “No one’s got you like you got you.”

    Her most recent match took place on the June 17 episode of WWE RAW, where she competed in a triple threat bout. James has not returned to in-ring action since, and WWE has not announced a timeline for her comeback.

    The nature and extent of the injury remain undisclosed, but her update signals active progress in recovery.