Emma made her surprising return to WWE on the latest episode of SmackDown. She answered the SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey’s open challenge on the show shocking the audience.
I’m so proud of my best friend 🥹🥹 So excited for you @TenilleDashwood ❤️❤️ you deserve every single minute of it all! ILYSM! Meme was freaking out! pic.twitter.com/9ro2g3c1j5
Advertisement— Summer Rae (@DanielleMoinet) October 29, 2022
The title match was a back and forth technical bout. The returning Australian gave the Baddest Woman on The Planet a surprisingly tough challenge. It was so close that Rousey had to resort to cheating by raking her eyes to follow it up with a arm bar that made her tap.
Although she received a lukewarm reaction from the arena audience, her fellow Australians were more enthusiastic. Former WWE Australian superstars Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce) and Jessica McKay (Billie Kay) reacted happily on twitter for her return. WWE alumni Summer Rae, who called Emma her best friend, posted her entire entrance online while congratulating her.
Emma, whose real name is Tenille Dashwood, has the distinction of being the first female Australian superstar of WWE. She was earlier with WWE from 2011 to 2017. Her funny dance moves during entrance got her popularity as did the “Makeover of Emma to Emmalina” & “Makeover of Emmalina to Emma” vignettes. She got released from contract on October 29th 2017, marking her return on October 28th 2022 at exactly 5 years. She has reacted to her own return on twitter by simply writing Home with a heart emoji.
Home ❤️
Advertisement— Tenille Dashwood (@TenilleDashwood) October 29, 2022
Since her release, she competed in the independents, Ring Of Honor and most notably at Impact Wrestling. There she became the Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Champion with Madison Rayne.
She is in a relationship with SmackDown superstar Madcap Moss. He had even expressed his desire of seeing her back in WWE in an earlier interview. It looks like she will be on the blue brand with him.
In a backstage interview, after her match with Rousey, she said that she has waited for 5 years to make this come back. She now knows exactly what she has to do to be the champion.