In the world of wrestling, relationships come and go faster than a masked luchador in a revolving door. WWE and TNA Wrestling have been playing nice lately, with stars like Mickie James and Jordynne Grace popping up in the WWE ring like surprise party guests who actually brought decent snacks. However, not every invitation to the dance gets a “yes,” even if you bring the fancy cheese.
Enter Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, better known as The IIconics, who received a glittery invite to join the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble match. According to Fightful Select, WWE had their hearts set on bringing back the former Women’s Tag Team Champions, but alas, their hopes were dashed faster than a heel turn in a title match. The dynamic duo declined, citing lingering resentment from their 2021 release—a move that shocked the WWE universe and rocked more boats than a pirate-themed WrestleMania.
In an interview with “Ring the Belle,” Royce and Kay confirmed they turned down WWE’s invite, noting they were still sore from being unceremoniously cut from the roster. The release was a surprise twist even for fellow WWE stars like Carmella, who was primed for a storyline with Kay. Once they parted ways with WWE, Royce and Kay rebranded themselves as The IInspiration and headed over to TNA, where they immediately made waves by snagging the Knockouts Tag Team Championships at Bound for Glory 2021.
Fast forward to 2022, and The IInspiration decided to hang up their boots, stepping away from the ring to focus on non-wrestling ventures and starting families. Whether they’ll make a grand return to WWE or TNA remains as uncertain as a referee’s impartiality, but Lee has hinted that a future Royal Rumble cameo isn’t entirely off the table.