Shawn Michaels used as placeholder to keep WWE star's return secret

The June 4 episode of WWE NXT saw the return of Jacy Jayne who has been out of action since Spring Breakin’ 2024 in April.
Jayne suffered a facial injury during her last match with Thea Hail that required surgery.
Last night’s WWE NXT saw Michin, Sol Ruca, & Jaida Parker taking on Kelani Jordan, Lash Legend, & Fallon Henley in a six-woman tag team match.
Highlights from the match can be seen below this news story, with all six heading to the NXT Women’s North American Title Ladder Match at NXT Battleground on June 9.

During the match, Jacy Jayne made her return, sporting rather sinister-looking face protection, and observed the action, as can be seen in the tweet below.
With the return being unexpected, it’s now been revealed how WWE kept it secret.
Ahead of the show, Fightful reported that Shawn Michaels was being secretive about plans, and was partaking in rehearsals himself so as to keep someone’s identity a secret.

Fightful’s Corey Brennan would later confirm that the person Michaels was standing in for was Jacy Jayne.
This is a tactic that has been used by Michaels in the past, along with others such as using different stars’ names on the show rundown instead of who is actually planned, and using different people’s entrance music and graphics in rehearsals.
Elsewhere on last night’s NXT, Jordynne Grace made her WWE singles debut with the TNA Wrestling Knockouts Champion taking on Stevie Turner.
Grace goes on to face Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship on the June 9 Battleground premium live event.