Kylie Rae is officially back in the ring, and she didn’t wait until November to make it happen. The former WWE ID Women’s Champion returned to action on August 16, 2026, wrestling for Girl Fight against Ashlyn Alexander in her first match in more than a year.
Rae had not wrestled since August 2025, when she competed in a match that was taped for WWE EVOLVE. One month later, she vacated the WWE ID Women’s Championship after announcing her pregnancy, ending her run as the first woman to ever hold the title.
Then came the mess with WWE. In October 2025, Rae announced that her WWE ID contract would not be renewed while she was pregnant, a move that immediately drew heat because of the timing.
Dave Meltzer ripped the decision at the time on Wrestling Observer Radio, saying WWE created an ugly optics problem for itself over a contract that wasn’t costing the company much in the first place. Meltzer said WWE easily could have waited until after Rae gave birth before making a call on her future.
“The Kylie Rae one, from an optics standpoint, of course, looks terrible — because she’s pregnant. And, you know, the thing is, it’s like… these contracts are very low money. I don’t know the exact number, but they’re very, very low.”
“Because the cost is so low, I just felt like… you can let her give birth, give her a couple of months. Don’t cut a woman when she’s pregnant. I just think that, you know, when you’re a billion-dollar company and you’re paying next to nothing — it’s just kind of like a bad… it was bad optics that aren’t worth it.”
Now Rae is back doing what she does best. She had already been announced for a November 22 return at PWJ Loyalty Over Everything, but the Girl Fight appearance pushed her comeback up by several months.
Rae already has a solid résumé outside WWE, including three reigns as Freelance World Champion and a run as Warrior Wrestling Women’s Champion. After a year away from the ring and a rough ending to her WWE ID run, she’s officially back in business.
What do you think about Kylie Rae returning to the ring after her WWE ID exit during pregnancy? Let us know what you think in the comments.
