Four Absent WWE Stars Who Could Return With New Looks

With several WWE names currently missing from Raw, NXT and SmackDown, speculation is building over which absent stars might come back with a different character or presentation once they’re cleared to return. Four names in particular stand out as candidates for a creative refresh.

Tavion Heights hasn’t been seen on NXT since mid-September, when his former tag team partner Myles Borne turned on him for a second time in three weeks, slamming a steel chair onto his ankle during the attack. Borne is set to challenge Tony D’Angelo for a shot at the NXT Championship in an upcoming number-one contenders match, which opens the door for Heights to resurface and disrupt his ex-partner’s push. Given the personal nature of the betrayal, a reintroduction with a harder edge or new look wouldn’t be a surprise.

Josh Briggs has been off NXT television since April, when he fell in a three-way match also involving Keanu Carver and Jasper Troy. He did pop up on a Main Event taping in September, losing to Big Cass, but that hasn’t translated into any renewed presence on NXT itself. After five years on the brand without a clear breakout, Briggs looks like a case where a full character overhaul — potentially even a new name — could be the move if WWE wants to give him a real shot at the main roster.

Jordynne Grace is in a similar spot on the SmackDown side, having not wrestled on the blue brand since April and not appearing on Main Event since June. There has been internal chatter about pairing Grace with Ivy Nile, a team that makes sense given their shared strength-based styles. Whether that partnership materializes or Grace returns as a singles act, a new attitude or presentation would help reset her momentum after months off television.

Seth Rollins is obviously in a different category given his standing as an established main-event fixture, but even top stars get periodic visual refreshes. Rollins shifted to a darker, all-black aesthetic during his most recent stretch on top before returning to his more colorful attire for his SummerSlam match. Any future return could bring another shift in his look, continuing a pattern that’s followed him for years.

None of these moves are confirmed, but they reflect a broader truth about WWE’s product right now: time off television doesn’t have to be dead time. For midcard and developmental talent like Heights, Briggs and Grace, an extended absence can function as a built-in excuse for a reintroduction — new gear, new music, even a tweaked in-ring style — without having to explain away a stagnant run. For a star of Rollins’ magnitude, it’s less about reinvention and more about keeping the visual presentation fresh. Either way, fans watching NXT and SmackDown in the coming weeks should keep an eye out for any of these four making their way back — and whether they look any different when they do.