Almost two years after Indi Hartwell's WWE release, she returned to the developmental brand NXT as a surprise entrant in a battle royal.

She competed in an NXT Women's Championship #1 contendership battle royal during the Oct. 6, 2026, edition of the show. This marked her first match in WWE since the Oct. 25, 2024, edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

Since her release, she has returned to the independent circuit and also joined TNA in April 2025. WWE and TNA frequently work together, perhaps opening the door for her return.

aw you could see how excited indi was to be back 😭#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Jc1GNS2o6u

— 𝓙𝓸𝓱𝓷 (@TwistedJohnX) October 7, 2026

Hartwell appeared emotional as she made her entrance. She was grinning ear-to-ear while walking to the ring. Clearly, she missed being in WWE.

Is Indi Hartwell back in WWE for good after NXT return 2 years after release?

It's unknown if Hartwell's return to WWE is permanent, though. She is still regularly featured on TNA programming, last beating Zoey Serrano, another former Superstar, on iMPACT on Sep. 25.

However, that doesn't rule out the possibility of her making future WWE appearances. TNA wrestlers frequently make cameos in WWE, including during an invasion storyline in 2025 and in Royal Rumbles.

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During her WWE career, Hartwell won the NXT Women's Championship and the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship (with Candice LeRae).

She spent most of the first four years of her career in NXT before joining the main roster. Hartwell's main roster call-up came during the 2023 WWE Draft.

Right after the Draft, she had to relinquish the NXT Women's Championship. This ended her reign after just 31 days. She would continue teaming up with LeRae on the main roster, but they would not win tag team gold.

Hartwell was subsequently released in November 2024. Her final match was pre-taped and aired on the day of her release. She teamed up with LeRae in a losing effort against Naomi and Bayley in her last match.