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.