WWE’s Cora Jade Makes Surprise NXT Return

After winning the WWE NXT Women’s Championship at Stand & Deliver during WrestleMania weekend, Indi Hartwell was already set to get her first Title defense opportunity during tonight’s NXT. After Zoey Stark interrupted her celebration, the match was made official, and Stark looked to make Hartwell’s reign the shortest in NXT history. Hartwell wouldn’t go down though, no matter how many times Stark knocked her down, and ultimately it was a reversal by Hartwell on a pin that got her the 3-count and the win. Tiffany Stratton then made it known she was up next, but that’s when Cora Jade made her surprise return to NXT and attacked Hartwell, staking her claim on the Title before a staredown with Stratton.

Stark and Hartwell locked up immediately and Stark was the aggressor, but Hartwell got the better of her with clotheslines. Stark came back and hit a super kick but she got knocked to the mat right after. Stark hit a kick to the temple and went for a cover but Hartwell kicked out. Stark had Hartwell pinned in the corner and stomped on her before targeting her arm and hand, and then she went for a pin but Hartwell kicked out.

😱😱😱@CoraJadeWWE is back and just took out @indi_hartwell!!!@tiffstrattonwwe #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/JcOnfznVY9

— WWE (@WWE) April 5, 2023

They exchanged punches and Hartwell ended up having her face slammed into the turnbuckle. Stark kicked her in the back and then slammed her into the corner 3 times before spearing her, though Hartwell came back with a knee to the face. More punches were exchanged but Hartwell got the last one in before a cover, though Stark kicked out.

Stark tried to lock in a hold over the ropes but Hartwell yanked her arms and knocked her to the floor. Stark knocked the Champ down and then went for a slick move over the ropes into a cover, but the Champ kicked out. Stark slid and dropkicked Hartwell out of the ring and to the floor.

Stark was clearly in control for a while, getting Hartwell into the ring and working on wearing down the Champ. Hartwell was able to come back with a flurry of offense, including a side slam, but Stark dodged another move and kicked Hartwell on the side of the head. Stark went for another move off the ropes but Hartwell stopped it. Stark went for an awesome dropkick in the air but Hartwell moved out of the way and she completely missed, landing hard on her leg.

Hartwell knocked Stark down to the mat through the ropes and then hit an Elbow Drop from the top rope into a cover, but Stark kicked out. Chops were exchanged and then Stark hit a mean roundhouse kick before taunting Hartwell but the Champ caught her and hit a spinebuster into a cover. Stark managed to kicked out at the last second. Stark kicked Hartwell but she flew out of the ring, and by the time she got her back in the ring, Hartwell managed to reverse it and got the 3-count and the win.

After the win, Tiffany Stratton came out and called out Hartwell, and the Champ didn’t shy away at all, but then she was attacked by a returning Cora Jade. Jade beat her down and then held the NXT Women’s Championship up in the air before leaving the ring. She then had a back-and-forth with Stratton before heading backstage.

Are you excited for Jade’s return, and what do you want to see her do next? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!