After a 396‑day hiatus, a lengthy absence was finally ended when Kiana James appeared on the July 18 episode of WWE SmackDown. She did not come back as a cameo, but as someone who could bring a shake-up in the women's tag division. James appeared during opening backstage bit of the show after having been nursing a serious leg injury since last June RAW. She was there nice and sharp in focus, with United States Women Champion Giulia. The meeting was not only a sign of her return, but it also left suggestion of a new partnership in pipeline under the SmackDown spotlights.
It was not only about eye contact. Photos found Kiana in the process of chatting with the heel-aligned Giulia, implying that something is brewing. Fans are talking: Is WWE sowing the seeds of a new strong tag-team? With Giulia as a champion already gaining momentum, it may be a good idea to put her against a returning James to show that she is a heel and a smart one at that.
New Alliance Brewing
What this actually implies is that WWE is not merely filling a roster position, they are creating narrative depth. The simultaneous return of James and Giulia creates a number of interesting plot twists: title aspirations, face rivalries or even inter-brand friction against tag title rivals on Raw. It is also indicative of a larger plan by WWE: to add powerful pairs to the women tag team scene, leading to SummerSlam.
James is not just a returning body but she is a player. She is back in running and by associating with a titleholder such as Giulia, this eliminates the rebuilding process. That is a win-win for her, and a smart move by WWE, who will have a ready storyline with emotional and star value.
Although SmackDown had a loaded card, with a blockbuster contract signing between John Cena and Cody Rhodes, the microscope level of attention given to James and Giulia tells a lot. It demonstrates the desire of WWE as it wants to highlight the women's tag division as they hone their top-level feuds on the men's side.