With WWE NXT Deadline officially in the books, tonight’s episode of NXT was all about getting things started for New Year’s Evil, and there’s already two big Championship matches set for the big event. That was far from all that developed during tonight’s episode though, and one of the most unexpected moments of the night took place after the Tag Team match between Fatal Influence and Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolin. After the match became a numbers game run by Fatal Influence, Paxley’s teased mystery ally showed up and shocked everyone when Shotzi made her long awaited return from injury and hit the ring to help her friends. It got a big reaction, and you can check it out in the post below (via DraVen).
Videos by ComicBook.com
The match involved Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne and Jazmyn Nyx taking on Paxley and the recently returned Dolin, with Fallon Henley watching at ringside. As one would expect from Fatal Influence, they attacked Paxley after the match, and while Dolin jumped back in to help Paxley, it was still three on one, and Fatal Influence overwhelmed Dolin and Paxley.
That’s when Shotzi’s music hit and the superstar ran down and immediately attacked Jayne, slamming her face-first against the ring apron. She then delivered a big kick to Nyx that knocked her down and then hit back to back clotheslines on Henley and Nyx before kicking a returning Jayne. Shotzi finished things by diving through the ropes and taking all three members of Fatal Influence to the floor, and then ended the segment by celebrating with Dolin and Paxley in the ring.
Paxley had mentioned earlier in the night that she had found someone to help even the odds, and one couldn’t help but think perhaps Lyra Valkyria was being brought in for a special appearance alongside her friend and occasional Tag Team partner. It ended up being Shotzi though, and the NXT crowd received her with open arms, as Shotzi was an NXT favorite for a while before she moved over to SmackDown.
[RELATED: WWE SmackDown Superstar Shotzi Just Got Married]
The last time fans saw Shotzi in the ring was actually in NXT, as she was challenging the then NXT Women’s Champion Valkyria for the Title during a special episode. That was back in February, but unfortunately Shotzi tore her ACL during the match, taking her out of action for a substantial amount of time.
Shotzi confirmed the injury in a statement but then later in a post on social media she also said she was going to use the time in recovery to also deal with a back injury that’s been bothering her for quite some time. On Instagram Shotzi wrote, “In Mexico to finally get the stem cells I have been wanting since I hurt my back 2 and 1/2 years ago! Realizing that my knee injury is giving me the opportunity to finally heal my back has been a huge silver lining. Thank you @rejuvstem Thank you Universe. I am forever grateful. Here is to wrestling pain free when I come back! But first coconuts and cenotes!”
Now Shotzi is back and so is her trademark green hair, and it appears her first match will be alongside Paxley and Dolin against Fatal Influence. This would be a perfect match for New Year’s Evil, which is coming up relatively soon, though they just might have the match happen earlier and maybe set up a match between Shotzi and Henley for the NXT Women’s North American Championship, which would certainly be a big time match for the first event of the new year.
What do you want to see next for Shotzi? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb and on Bluesky @knightofoa!
