WWE SmackDown Superstar's return hinted after 266 days

A WWE SmackDown star's long-awaited return could potentially be on the horizon.

Tonight's episode of SmackDown is the first edition of the blue brand following Royal Rumble 2024. Cody Rhodes won his 2nd Royal Rumble match in a row and sent CM Punk flying over the top rope to punch his ticket to WrestleMania. Punk suffered a torn triceps during the Men's Royal Rumble match and will be forced to miss the Show of Shows.

Bayley won the Women's Royal Rumble match this past Saturday night. The Damage CTRL member knocked Liv Morgan out of the ring to earn a title match at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. Ahead of tonight's edition of SmackDown, The Role Model may have shared a possible hint about her stablemate's return.

Dakota Kai suffered a torn ACL on the May 12, 2023, edition of WWE SmackDown and has been out of action ever since. Bayley shared a new Instagram post with photos of Damage CTRL today, and WrestleTalk has made an interesting claim. The publication noted that the Royal Rumble winner shared an unseen photo of Dakota Kai in her ring gear from the Premium Live Event over the weekend and suggested that it could mean the veteran is close to returning.

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Former WWE writer questions if people are interested in Damage CTRL match at WrestleMania

Vince Russo recently wondered if fans are interested in a potential matchup between Bayley and Iyo Sky at WrestleMania.

Both superstars are currently a part of the Damage CTRL faction. Iyo Sky captured the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam 2023 and seemingly recruited The Kabuki Warriors to the faction without Bayley's knowledge.

Speaking on this week's edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW show, Russo noted that the promotion is likely heading toward having the two stablemates battle for the title at WrestleMania 40. The former WWE writer wondered if fans were going to be excited for that match at the biggest show of the year.

"The company wants IYO SKY and Bayley. Bro, who cares about that? Who is gonna watch to see IYO SKY and Bayley?" [From 7:45 onwards]

You can check out Russo's comments in the video below:

Most fans were happy to see Bayley emerge victorious in the Women's Royal Rumble match this past Saturday night. It will be interesting to see who she challenges at WWE WrestleMania 40 in two months.

Who were you rooting for in the Women's Royal Rumble match? Let us know in the comments section below.