The road to WrestleMania 42 is currently underway and it has already seen some notable names make their return to the company.
On the February 9 edition of Monday Night Raw, AJ Lee made her return and confronted Becky Lynch to set up a WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship match at Elimination Chamber 2026, while LA Knight also made his own comeback during the Men’s Royal Rumble.
As well as current stars there is also a litany of former WWE names who could make their comeback ahead of Mania this April.
Here are seven former WWE stars to potentially return before WrestleMania 42.
7. The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessica McKay)
On the January 15 AMC premiere of TNA Thursday Night Impact, The Elegance Brand defeated The IInspiration to win the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships.
Following this loss, it was revealed that Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay were officially leaving TNA Wrestling after their contracts expired with the company.
Originally making their name in WWE during the 2010s, The IInspiration could potentially make their return to the company now that they are free agents.
Adding to the robust WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship picture on the road to WrestleMania 42, The IInspiration could make a comeback as The IIconics and throw their names into the hat for title contention.
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6. Trish Stratus
Back at WWE Evolution 2025, Tiffany Stratton defeated Trish Stratus to retain the WWE Women’s Championship.
This marked the last time Stratus stepped inside the ring for WWE, but it was reported at the time that it wasn’t her final match.
Still under a WWE Legends deal, Stratus could make a return in the leadup to this year’s WrestleMania 42.
The WWE Hall of Famer has continued to show that she still has something left in the tank and could be in position for another high profile bout on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” if she makes her return.
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5. Mickie James
Another former WWE star who made their return to the company in some form in 2025 was Mickie James.
Appearing on the WWE LFG show on A&E, James served as a coach, guiding some of the younger stars from the Performance Center.
Along with her appearances on LFG, Mickie also showed up during an episode of WWE NXT and interacted with Jaida Parker.
Stepping back in the ring for WWE for the first time in four years, Mickie James could show the world if she still has “it” by facing one of the current stars on the roster like Roxanne Perez, Tiffany Stratton or Giulia at WrestleMania 42 or sooner.
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4. Paige
In March 2025, Saraya announced her departure from All Elite Wrestling after a three-year stint with the promotion.
Making it clear that she did not intend to retire, Saraya made it no secret that she was open to returning to WWE and becoming Paige once again.
Fans have recently seen Paige stepping back in the ring to train for a potential return to the pro wrestling world.
Wanting to settle unfinished business in the company, Paige could be a massive return for the WWE women’s division and might add some additional star power to the scene on the road to WrestleMania 42.
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3. Chris Jericho
Over the past year, Chris Jericho has found himself back in the spotlight with headlines circulating about his wrestling future.
With his AEW contract set to expire, Jericho has reportedly garnered some interest from WWE about a potential return.
Considering his importance and influence on AEW over the past six years, it feels like Tony Khan’s promotion could re-sign Jericho to stay with the company.
However, Jericho returning to WWE feels inevitable at this point and could happen as soon as the next few weeks to set up a major matchup at WrestleMania 42 against the likes of LA Knight, Dominik Mysterio or Trick Williams.
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2. Stone Cold Steve Austin
It was only a four years ago that fans watched Stone Cold Steve Austin make his in-ring return to WWE in the main event of WrestleMania 38.
In the years since then, Austin has made other returns where he has appeared in a non-wrestling capacity.
Considering recent reports about “The Texas Rattlesnake” potentially showing back up in WWE, Austin could potentially play some type of role on the road to WrestleMania 42.
Austin returning to interact with the likes of Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, CM Punk or Roman Reigns could provide so many different possibilities for WWE TV as Mania fast approaches.
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1. Bad Bunny
Recent reports have indicated that Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny is expected to be back in WWE “sooner than most expect.”
Coming off the heels of his memorable Super Bowl Halftime performance, Bunny could be just what WWE needs to garner even more attention to the company on the road to WrestleMania 42.
Having not wrestled since his win over Damian Priest in San Juan, Puerto Rico at WWE Backlash 2023, it feels like Bunny could potentially already be training for his in-ring return.
Whether it be a one-on-one match against Logan Paul or in a huge tag team match, Bad Bunny feels like easiest the biggest star WWE could have return before WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas.
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