Report: Reason WWE Kept Roxanne Perez's Royal Rumble Appearance Short Revealed

Roxanne Perez returned to the main roster at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Saturday, January 28, competing in the Women's Royal Rumble match.

The NXT Women's Champion entered at number eight, but she was only in the match for four minutes and 34 seconds before being eliminated by Damage CTRL only moments after the faction had already tossed out Dana Brooke and Emma.

Bryan Alvarez questioned on Wrestling Observer Live why WWE would eliminate Perez in under five minutes but the company reportedly opted to throw Perez over the top rope early to ensure she didn't pick up an injury.

Perez is set to defend her NXT Women's Championship at the Vengeance Day premium live event on Saturday, February 4. Perez will put the belt on the line against Toxic Attraction's Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin in a Triple Threat Match. The 21-year-old has been NXT Women's Champion since defeating Mandy Rose for the gold on December 13. She is also a former ROH Women's World Champion.