Recently, Bianca Belair’s absence from the ring surpassed 11 months, with the former WWE Women’s Champion still sidelined with a serious finger injury. Fortunately, Belair seems to now be making equally as serious progress in her recovery from surgery.

BodySlam+ reports that Belair has finally begun “light training” for her potential in-ring return. “The EST” fractured multiple fingers amidst her triple threat match against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY at WWE WrestleMania 41 in April 2025. And while most of them healed, one finger caused extensive problems due it breaking in three places and at the joint. With Belair firmly unable to bend that particular finger, she eventually underwent surgery to address it in February 2026.

Following her surgery, Belair’s road to recovery kicked off with physical therapy, which included her attempting to make a fist, roll a wooden tube, and bend her finger. According to Belair herself, most of her early therapy days were frustrating as her finger often stiffened back up, causing her to feel a sense of pain and regression. Based on the latest report, though, she would have since moved past that phase, meaning she is one step closer to her long-awaited return to the squared circle.

During her time away from the ring, Belair sporadically appeared on WWE television, including an episode of “WWE SmackDown” in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. At WWE Evolution 2, she then served as the special guest referee for the No Holds Barred match between Jade Cargill and Naomi. In September, she resurfaced again for WWE’s special announcement of WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia. As of this writing, the timeframe for Belair’s in-ring return is unclear.