Backstage update on popular WWE Superstar after 168 day absence
There has been an update on a WWE Superstar who has not made an appearance on RAW in 168 days. Tonight's edition of the red brand will air live in Columbus, Ohio.
The superstar in question is Nikki Cross who has been with WWE since 2016. She is a three-time Women's Tag Team Champion and captured the RAW Women's Championship while portraying the Nikki A.S.H. character.
The veteran has not competed since a Battle Royal on the November 6, 2023 edition of RAW. According to PWInsider, the former RAW star has been regularly backstage for WWE events despite not being used on television.
Last Monday night, Rhea Ripley announced that she had suffered an injury and was forced to relinquish her Women's World Championship. There will be a Battle Royal tonight on RAW to determine a new champion but one female star does not appear to be in the match.
Former WWE star comments on Nikki Cross's status with the company
Wrestling veteran Stevie Richards believes Nikki Cross is not being used on television because she may have complained about her booking.
Speaking on The Brand podcast with Vince Russo last November, Stevie Richards addressed rumors that Cross was not on television because she was not happy with how she was being used. Richards claimed that the company should release her if they have nothing for her to do on television:
"You know what's funny? They're not exclusive to doing that. Every wrestling company throughout history has done this. There's some weird thing with wrestling when you wanna participate, when you wanna earn your money, when you wanna be booked, when you wanna give them oa return on the investment, somehow you get heat for that and you get punished. Just release her," said Stevie Richards.
Nikki Cross has captured the Women's Tag Team Championships twice with Alexa Bliss and once with Rhea Ripley. Alexa Bliss has not appeared on WWE television since her loss to Bianca Belair at Royal Rumble 2023. It will be interesting to see if the promotion has any plans for Cross moving forward.