Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace
(born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Nikki Bella, is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
and
television personality
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
. She is currently signed to
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
as an ambassador.
In 2007, Bella signed with WWE and was assigned to
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW) alongside her twin sister
Brie Bella
Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Bella, is an American professional wrestler and TV personality. She is currently signed to WWE working as an ambassador.
She and her twin N ...
, forming the duo
The Bella Twins
The Bella Twins were a professional wrestling tag team who performed on WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella (real names Brianna and Nicole). Each of the Bella Twins are a former WWE Divas Champion. Brie is the f ...
.
She made her debut for the ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'' brand in 2008.
Nikki Bella is a two-time
WWE Divas Champion
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gu ...
and holds the record for the longest reign with that title (301 days).
Bella ranked No. 1 in ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''s
Female 50 in November 2015, and was named Diva of the Year by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' in December 2015.
She also won the award for
Choice Female Athlete alongside her sister at the
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
in 2016.
Early life
Born sixteen minutes before her twin sister,
Brianna
''Brianna'', ''Breanna'', ''Breanne'', ''Briana'', ''Brina'', and ''Bryanna'' are feminine given names. ''Brianna'' is a feminine English language form of the masculine Irish language name ''Brian'' as "Briana" is the original spelling. The name is ...
, to parents Jon Garcia and Kathy Colace,
Garcia-Colace was born in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
, and raised on a farm in the
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
suburb of
Scottsdale, Arizona
, settlement_type = City
, named_for = Winfield Scott
, image_skyline =
, image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg
, image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg
, nick ...
.
She is of
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
and
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
descent.
Keen
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
enthusiasts, she along with her twin sister played for the Scottsdale club in elementary school. She graduated from
Chaparral High School in 2002.
She then returned to San Diego for college where she played soccer for
Grossmont College
Grossmont College is a public community college in El Cajon, California. Its name originated with the silent film actor and producer William J. Gross, who was enticed by Ed Fletcher to invest the purchase of land, part of which was called Grossmo ...
,
but relocated to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
a year later, where she worked as a waitress at the
Mondrian Hotel
The Mondrian Hotel is a boutique hotel owned and/or operated by SBE Entertainment Group, located in West Hollywood, California.
History
The structure was built in 1959 as an apartment building. It was later renovated and reopened in 1985 as the ...
while trying to find an
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
.
She then started modeling, acting, and doing promotional work.
She made her first national TV appearance on the
Fox reality
Fox Reality Channel was an American pay television channel. It was launched on May 24, 2005, and was owned by the Fox Entertainment Group. It featured many shows that were originally on the Fox network (or produced by Fox). The channel also feat ...
show ''
Meet My Folks
''Meet My Folks'' is a comedy reality television series which aired on NBC from 2002–2003 and aired in re-runs on MyNetworkTV from 2007–2008. Local versions of the show have aired in other countries since 2000.
The series was apparently in ...
''.
Following this appearance, the Garcia twins were hired to be the World Cup Twins for
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States.
''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...
and were photographed holding the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
trophy. Nikki and her sister Brie were contestants in the 2006 "International Body Doubles twins search". Nikki and Brie later participated in the
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
''
WWE Diva Search
''WWE Diva Search'' (formerly ''WWE Raw Diva Search'') is an American talent competition that was produced and held by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The first winner was Jaime Koeppe, but she did not receive a contract like subsequent winne ...
'', but they did not make the cut.
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2008)
Nicole was signed to a developmental contract with her sister by
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWE) in June 2007 and was assigned to
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW), WWE's then-
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
, in
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
. At a FCW
house show
A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
on September 15, 2007, Nicole and her twin Brie, called
The Bella Twins
The Bella Twins were a professional wrestling tag team who performed on WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella (real names Brianna and Nicole). Each of the Bella Twins are a former WWE Divas Champion. Brie is the f ...
, made their in-ring debut by defeating
Nattie Neidhart and
Krissy Vaine
Kristin Parmeter (née Eubanks; born January 12, 1981) is an American model, professional wrestler and valet. She is better known by her ring name Krissy Vaine and also for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment. She also trained at WWE's devel ...
with
Victoria Crawford as the
special guest referee
In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
.
She quickly started a
scripted rivalry with Neidhart and Crawford, competing in a series of matches against them throughout October 2007. As a part of their on-screen personas, she and Brie would switch places behind the referee's back if one of them was hurt. She also occasionally competed in
mixed tag team matches, teaming with male wrestlers including
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-hal ...
and
Robert Anthony
Robert Anthony (born June 11, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Egotistico Fantastico. He is the current NWA National Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. He has worked for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), ...
. She also made some non-wrestling appearances on
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football fo ...
's ''Happy Hour''
promo
Promo or promos may refer to:
Promotions and advertising
*Promo (media), a form of commercial advertising used to promote television or radio programs
*Promo (professional wrestling), a televised interview in which a wrestler's on-screen personali ...
segment.
Starting in December 2007, she managed Derrick Linkin, however, the storyline was cut short when Linkin was released in January 2008.
She and Brie then resumed their feud with Neidhart and Crawford, wrestling them throughout much of 2008.
After Neidhart was called up to the WWE roster in April 2008,
Milena Roucka took her place in the feud.
Nikki also competed in
bikini contest
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coverin ...
s, and wrestled against other competitors including
Katie Lea Burchill
Katarina Leigh Waters (born 10 November 1980) is a German-born English American professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her time with Impact Wrestling under the ring names Katarina or Winter and for her time in WWE under the rin ...
and Daisy. Nikki's last FCW appearance was on September 2, when she competed in a
Divas
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
battle royal
Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
won by
Miss Angela.
The Bella Twins (2008–2011)
On the August 29, 2008, episode of ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes simulc ...
'', Brianna debuted as
Brie Bella
Brianna Monique Danielson (née Garcia-Colace; born November 21, 1983), known professionally as Brie Bella, is an American professional wrestler and TV personality. She is currently signed to WWE working as an ambassador.
She and her twin N ...
, defeating
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. She quickly began a scripted rivalry with Victoria and Victoria's accomplice,
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
, and had a series of matches against them.
In each match, Brie would roll out of the
ring
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
and go underneath it, emerging and appearing revived, and then win the match.
On the October 31 episode of ''SmackDown'', when Brie went under the ring, Victoria grabbed her legs, but a second pair of legs kicked her off, implying that a second person was under the ring. The following week on ''SmackDown'', Brie defeated Victoria and then ran under the ring to escape Natalya and Victoria, but Victoria and Natalya both reached for Brie under the ring, resulting in both Nicole and Brie being pulled out. The twins then attacked them and celebrated afterward.
Nicole was then introduced as Nikki Bella, and the twins had their first official match as a team on the November 21 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating Victoria and Natalya. They continued competing in tag team matches over the following months.
![Bella Twins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Bella_Twins.jpg)
Starting in November, the twins developed an on-screen relationship with
The Colóns (
Carlito and
Primo), appearing in numerous backstage segments with them, and accompanying them to the ring.
In February 2009, the storyline expanded to include
John Morrison and The Miz, who
flirted
Flirting or coquetry is a social and sexual behavior involving spoken or written communication, as well as body language. It is either to suggest interest in a deeper relationship with the other person or, if done playfully, for amusement.
It ...
with the Bellas and took them on a
date
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
** Group dating
*Play date, a ...
for
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
. The date provoked a rivalry between the teams of The Miz and Morrison and Primo and Carlito, with the four competing for the affection of the twins, who were seemingly unable to choose between them. On the March 17 episode of ''
ECW ECW may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001
* The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
'', Carlito and Primo, aiming for Morrison and The Miz, accidentally spat apples in the face of Brie.
Nikki began to laugh at Brie's misfortune, and a fight broke out between the two, which led to Nikki leaving with The Miz and Morrison, while Brie stayed with Primo and Carlito, with Nikki turning
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
in the process.
Brie won her first match over Nikki in a six-person
intergender tag team match on ''SmackDown'' the following week. On the March 31 episode of ''ECW'', Nikki pinned Brie in their first singles match against each other after a distraction from Morrison and The Miz.
On April 15, 2009, The Bella Twins were both drafted to the
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand as part of the
2009 supplemental draft. On April 27, Brie made her ''Raw'' in-ring debut in an eight-Diva tag team match, which her team won. Nikki also made an appearance, reuniting with her twin as she was under the ring to help Brie during the match, turning face in the process. Nikki then made her in-ring debut for the brand the following month in a battle royal, but was eliminated by
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion.
Kociański had a successful amateur ...
.
On June 29, 2009, they were both traded to the ECW brand. They debuted on ''ECW'' the following night as special guests on ''The
Abraham Washington
Brian Bary Jossie (born February 2, 1978), better known by his ring name Abraham Washington (abbreviated A. W.), is an American professional wrestler and former professional wrestling manager. He is best known for his time in WWE.
Professional wr ...
Show''. They developed a storyline feud with
Katie Lea Burchill
Katarina Leigh Waters (born 10 November 1980) is a German-born English American professional wrestler and actress. She is best known for her time with Impact Wrestling under the ring names Katarina or Winter and for her time in WWE under the rin ...
, when Nikki defeated her in a match by switching places with Brie behind the referee's back. The following week on ''
Superstars'', Brie defeated Burchill in similar fashion, and the feud ended in September when Nikki defeated Burchill on ''Superstars''.
![Eve Torres Also great](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Eve_Torres_Also_great.jpg)
On October 12, the Bellas were traded back to Raw as part of a tri-branded Divas trade, where they predominately appeared in backstage segments with the
weekly guest stars and only occasionally competed in matches.
On the January 4, 2010, episode of ''Raw'', Brie participated in a tournament for the vacant
WWE Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gue ...
, but lost to
Maryse Maryse is a given name. Notable persons with this name include:
*Maryse Alberti, cinematographer
*Maryse Condé, author
*Maryse Dauvray, actress
*Maryse Lassonde, neuropsychologist
*Maryse Liburdi (formerly Maryse Thomas), CEO
*Maryse Marpsat, soci ...
in the first round, when a switch resulted in Nikki being pinned. In June 2010, they developed a feud with
Jillian Hall
Jillian Faye Hall ( Fletcher; September 6, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE.
After debuting in 1998, Hall worked on the independent circuit under the name Macaela Mercedes. She won numerous champ ...
, when Brie defeated her after switching places with Nikki. The following week, Nikki defeated Hall after switching with Brie.
The feud was exacerbated when the Bellas acted as the
special guest referee
In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
s during one of Hall's matches. During the match, Hall attacked both twins, but lost the match when Nikki made a fast count, allowing her to be pinned by
Gail Kim
Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockou ...
. The next week on ''Superstars'', the twins defeated Hall and Maryse in a tag team match to end the storyline.
On August 31, The Bella Twins announced they would be part of the all-female
third season of ''
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
'', mentoring Jamie. Jamie was the first rookie Diva eliminated on the October 5 episode of ''NXT''. In November, the twins began a storyline with
Daniel Bryan, when Brie accompanied him to the ring for his match. Following his win, Nikki ran out and the two fought over Bryan's affection, until Bryan broke it up and had them hug each other. They began to manage Bryan and frequently accompanied him to the ring over the next two months. In January 2011, both Bellas turned into
villainous characters for the first time in their careers, when they discovered Bryan kissing Gail Kim backstage and assaulted her. They continued to attack Kim, both at the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle roya ...
and on ''Raw'', and on February 7, they teamed with
Melina in a losing effort to Kim,
Eve Torres
Eve Torres Gracie (born Eve Marie Torres on August 21, 1984) is an American actress, dancer, model, martial arts instructor, and former professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she was the first ever three-time WWE ...
, and
Tamina.
Divas Champion (2011–2012)
![Bella Twins Divas Champion (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Bella_Twins_Divas_Champion_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The Bellas began feuding with
Eve Torres
Eve Torres Gracie (born Eve Marie Torres on August 21, 1984) is an American actress, dancer, model, martial arts instructor, and former professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with WWE, where she was the first ever three-time WWE ...
after they appeared as
lumberjills during a
Divas Championship
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gu ...
match between Torres and
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
on the February 14 episode of ''Raw''. Following the match, they attacked Torres backstage before
Gail Kim
Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where she serves as a producer. In Impact Wrestling she was the inaugural and record setting seven-time Knockou ...
and Natalya stopped them.
The next week, the twins defeated Torres and Kim in a tag team match. The following week, Nikki won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the Divas Championship, and unsuccessfully challenged Torres for the championship on March 7. On April 11, Nikki helped Brie defeat Torres to win the Divas Championship, marking the first time either twin had held a championship in WWE. Nikki helped Brie once again, this time to successfully defend the championship against
Kelly Kelly
Barbara Blank Coba (born Barbara Jean Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American professional wrestler and model.
Blank has a background in gymnastics and cheerleading, an ...
at
Over the Limit, after switching places with Brie. However, Brie lost the championship against Kelly on a special "Power to the People" episode of ''Raw'' on June 20, ending her reign at 70 days, and failing to regain it on July 17, in a rematch against Kelly at
Money in the Bank.
The twins spent the majority of the rest of the year in tag team matches, regularly facing Kelly and Torres. The Bellas began to show friction for the second time since joining WWE in March 2012, after both twins lost to
AJ Lee
April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
in singles competition.
After Brie's match with Lee, Nikki revealed that Brie was rooting for
Team Johnny in the 12-man tag team match at
WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVIII (also written as WrestleMania 28) was the 28th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is the hig ...
, whilst Nikki was rooting for
Team Teddy, thus furthering their dissension.
On the April 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Nikki defeated then Divas Champion
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion.
Kociański had a successful amateur ...
in a non-title match, after Kelly Kelly distracted Phoenix.
On April 23, Nikki defeated Phoenix in a lumberjill match on ''Raw'' to win the Divas Championship for the first time.
Brie lost Nikki's championship to
Layla
"Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded by Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, ''Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movements were compose ...
at
Extreme Rules after ''Twin Magic'' failed, ending her Divas Championship reign after only a week.
The following night on ''Raw'', they competed in their last match with the WWE, failing to win back the Divas Championship from Layla in a triple threat match. Later that night, WWE announced on their website that the twins had been fired by Executive Administrator Eve Torres.
Independent circuit (2012–2013)
On May 1, 2012, the twins appeared at their first independent wrestling show in
Newburgh, New York
Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...
for the promotion
Northeast Wrestling
Northeast Wrestling (NEW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeastern United States and has promoted events since 1996. It is currently owned and operated by promoter Mike Lombardi and is one of the top independe ...
. They later appeared for CTWE Pro Wrestling at the ''Season Beatings'' pay-per-view on December 15, each accompanying a different wrestler to the ring.
Return to WWE
''Total Divas'' storylines (2013–2014)
On the March 11, 2013, episode of ''Raw'', The Bella Twins returned to WWE in a backstage segment with Team Rhodes Scholars (
Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
and
Damien Sandow
Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American professional wrestler best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow. He is also known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit under t ...
).
On the March 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', they attacked
The Funkadactyls
The Funkadactyls were a professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, tag team consisting of Naomi (wrestler), Naomi and Cameron (wrestler), Cameron. The women initially worked for WWE as the dancers and Manager (profess ...
(
Cameron and
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
), and the following week interfered in matches between Team Rhodes Scholars and
Brodus Clay
George Murdoch (born February 21, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and cable news personality known by his ring/stage name Tyrus. As a wrestler, he is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the reigning NWA World ...
and
Tensai
Matthew Jason Bloom (born November 14, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler and professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is the head trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Bloom ...
, but were attacked by The Funkadactyls.
The twins made their in–ring return facing and defeating The Funkadactyls on the March 27 episode of ''
Main Event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
'' after interference from Cody Rhodes,
and also defeated them on ''Raw'' five days later.
The Bella Twins were scheduled to participate in an eight–person tag team match with Team Rhodes Scholars against Tons of Funk (Clay and Tensai) and The Funkadactyls at
WrestleMania 29
WrestleMania 29 (billed in print ads as WrestleMania NY/NJ) was the 29th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Nine ...
on April 7, but the match was canceled due to time restraints,
and instead took place the following night on ''Raw'', where The Bella Twins and Team Rhodes Scholars were defeated. The twins continued their
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with The Funkadactyls, defeating them in standard tag team,
and six-Diva tag team matches.
In June, Nikki suffered a
fractured tibia.
![WWE Raw 2015-03-30 19-18-45 ILCE-6000 2859 DxO (18233445594)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/WWE_Raw_2015-03-30_19-18-45_ILCE-6000_2859_DxO_%2818233445594%29.jpg)
Upon the debut of the ''
Total Divas
''Total Divas'' is an American reality television series that aired from July 28, 2013, to December 10, 2019, on E!. The series gave viewers an inside look into the lives of female WWE wrestlers from their work within WWE to their person ...
''
reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
program in July, The Bellas returned and started a
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with their co-star on the show,
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
. Brie and Natalya went on to trade victories in singles competition on ''Raw'' and at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 18.
The cast of ''Total Divas'' then transitioned into a scripted feud with
Divas Champion
The WWE Divas Championship was a women's professional wrestling championship in WWE. The championship was created by WWE in 2008, and was introduced as part of the WWE brand extension via a storyline by then SmackDown General Manager Vickie Gue ...
AJ Lee
April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
, who mocked the show and cast, turning The Bellas
faces
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...
in the process.
Nikki returned to in-ring action on the October 25 episode of ''SmackDown'', losing to Lee.
At
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
on November 24, the twins were part of the victorious Team Total Divas. On the December 9 episode of ''Raw'', the twins were awarded
Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 edi ...
s for
Diva of the Year.
On April 6, 2014, Nikki competed at
WrestleMania XXX
WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome ...
in the 14-
Diva
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
"
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...
Invitational match" for the Divas Championship, which was won by the defending champion AJ Lee.
The same month, Brie became involved in her real-life husband
Daniel Bryan's ongoing storyline with
Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest profe ...
and
Kane, where as part of the storyline, McMahon threatened to fire Brie if, an injured, Bryan did not relinquish the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown's ...
at
Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
on June 1, which forced Brie to "quit" WWE before slapping McMahon in the face. After Brie quit, McMahon put Nikki in several
handicap match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
es as punishment. After being absent for a month, Brie returned to WWE television, appearing in the crowd on July 21; following a confrontation, McMahon slapped Brie and was subsequently arrested. In order to have Brie drop the "charges", Brie was rehired and received a match against McMahon at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
.
At the pay-per-view on August 17, Nikki turned
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
by attacking Brie, which allowed McMahon to win the match.
The next several weeks saw the twins fight in several backstage and in-ring segments, including a cameo appearance from
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show ''Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...
on ''Raw'' on September 8. As part of the storyline, McMahon declared Nikki the face of the Divas division and granted her a match at
Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
for the Divas Championship on September 21, which she failed to win.
Nikki then obtained permission to begin forcing Brie to compete in handicap matches, similar to her punishment at the hands of McMahon, although Brie was able to win them. This led to a match between the twins at
Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
on October 26, where the loser was forced to become the winner's
personal assistant
A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task,. it is a sub-specialty of secretarial duties ...
for 30 days, in which Nikki defeated Brie.
Five days later on ''SmackDown'', Nikki won a
Halloween costume
Halloween costumes are costumes worn on Halloween, a festival which falls on October 31. An early reference to wearing costumes at Halloween comes from Scotland in 1585, but they may pre-date this. There are many references to the custom during ...
battle royal to become the number one contender for the Divas Championship.
Longest–reigning Divas Champion (2014–2015)
Nikki received her title match against
AJ Lee
April Jeanette Mendez (born March 19, 1987) is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She is currently an executive producer and color commentator for WOW – Wom ...
on November 23 at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
, which she won with Brie's help to become a two-time Divas Champion.
The duo had reconciled at this point, with Brie also turning
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
in the process. Nikki then went on to retain her championship in three separate occasions – against Lee in a rematch on December 14, at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, against
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
two days later on ''SmackDown'', and against
Paige at
Fastlane on February 22, 2015.
Paige and Lee then formed an
alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
against the Bellas, which led to a tag team match at
WrestleMania 31
WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Santa Clara, California. Nine ...
on March 29, where Lee and Paige were victorious.
![The Bella Twins April 2015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/The_Bella_Twins_April_2015.jpg)
On April 26, after Nikki, with the help of Brie, once again retained her title against Naomi at
Extreme Rules a
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
started with Naomi aligning with the returning
Tamina to even the odds against the Bellas, who began showing more
heroic Heroic may mean:
*characteristic of a hero
*typical of heroic poetry or of heroic verse
*belonging to the Greek Heroic Age
*Heroic (esports), a Danish esports organization
*Heroic (horse)
Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred ra ...
characteristics. This change in character was criticized as "sudden", "randomly", and "for no reason".
This led to a
tag team match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
between the two teams at
Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
on May 17, where Naomi and Tamina were victorious. At
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
on May 31, Nikki retained her title against Naomi and Paige in a
triple threat match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, with Brie banned from ringside.
In June, The Bella Twins became
villains
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
once again by employing ''Twin Magic'', which helped Nikki retain the title against Paige on the June 1 episode of ''Raw'' and at
Money in the Bank on June 14.
During the feud with Paige,
Alicia Fox
Victoria Crawford (born June 30, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler and former model known for her time with WWE under the ring name Alicia Fox.
Crawford debuted on ''SmackDown'' on June 13, 2008, using the Alicia Fox name and th ...
allied with them to form
Team Bella
The Bella Twins were a professional wrestling tag team who performed on WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Brie Bella and Nikki Bella (real names Brianna and Nicole). Each of the Bella Twins are a former WWE WWE Divas Championship, Divas ...
.
At
The Beast in the East on July 4, Nikki retained the title against Paige and Tamina. After weeks of Team Bella outnumbering Paige, Naomi, and Tamina,
Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest profe ...
called for a "revolution" in the
WWE Divas division and introduced the debuting
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
and
Becky Lynch
Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and ...
as Paige's allies, while
NXT Women's Champion
The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on April 5, 2013, t ...
Sasha Banks
Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks.
Banks previously wrestled on ...
debuted as an ally to Naomi and Tamina, which led to a brawl between the three teams.
Nikki then lost to Charlotte in a tag team match on the August 3 episode of ''Raw'', and to Banks on the August 17 episode of ''Raw'' in a non-title match. The three teams faced off at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 23 in a
three team elimination match, in which Team Bella first eliminated
Team B.A.D.
Sasha Banks and Naomi, originally known as Team B.A.D., were an American professional wrestling tag team that performed in WWE, where they are former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
The inceptive variation of the team began and ended as a duo ...
before Team PCB won.
On the September 14 episode of ''Raw'', Nikki defended her title against Charlotte, who pinned Brie after the twins had switched places to win the match; however, since the title cannot change hands by disqualification, Nikki retained the championship, and in the process, became the new longest reigning Divas Champion in history, surpassing AJ Lee's previous record of 295 days. Nikki
dropped the championship to Charlotte at
Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
on September 20, ending her reign at 301 days,
and failed to regain the title in a rematch at
Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fenci ...
on October 25.
Shortly after, Nikki went on a hiatus from television due to a neck injury which would require surgery, but returned for one night on December 21, to accept the
Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 edi ...
for
Diva of the Year.
Nikki made a brief cameo appearance at the
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wres ...
event on April 3, 2016, celebrating with Brie after winning a
10-Diva tag team match. In June, Nikki confirmed that she would no longer use her ''Rack Attack'' maneuver and began training with her sister's husband
Daniel Bryan, whom she announced was teaching her a new
finishing move.
On July 21, she was revealed to be cleared for in-ring competition and continued her training at the
WWE Performance Center
The WWE Performance Center is the official professional wrestling school system of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The promotion currently operates two Performance Center locations, which serve as training facilities for WWE wre ...
.
Various storylines (2016–2019)
![Shakedown 22 (31681327271)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Shakedown_22_%2831681327271%29.jpg)
After ten months of inactivity, Bella made a surprise return as a
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
at the
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
pay–per–view on August 21, 2016, where she replaced
Eva Marie
Natalie Eva Marie Nelson (born September 19, 1984) is an American actress, fashion designer, model, and professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenures in WWE, from 2013–2017 and 2020–2021, where she performed under the ring name ...
and teamed with
Natalya Natalya (russian: Наталья) is the Russian form of the female given name Natalia.
The name Natasha (russian: link=no, Наташа), being originally a diminutive form of Natalya, became an independent name outside the Russian-speaking state ...
and
Alexa Bliss
Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was ass ...
against
Becky Lynch
Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and ...
,
Naomi
Naomi or Naomie may refer to:
People and biblical figures
* Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name
* Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth
* Naomi (Romanian singer) (bor ...
, and
Carmella
Carmella is a female given name. Notable people with the name include:
People
* Carmella DeCesare
Carmella Danielle DeCesare Garcia (born July 1, 1982) is an American model who was ''Playboy'' magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of t ...
whom they defeated after Bella pinned Carmella.
This sparked a
storyline feud between Bella (who was established as part of the
SmackDown brand) and Carmella, also re-establishing Bella as a
face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
in the process.
Simultaneously with her feud with Carmella, Bella took part in a
six–pack elimination challenge to determine the inaugural
WWE SmackDown Women's Champion at
Backlash
Backlash may refer to:
Literature
* '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi
* ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston
* Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character
* ''Backla ...
on September 11, where she eliminated Natalya but was eliminated by Carmella. Bella eventually gained revenge as she defeated Carmella at
No Mercy on October 9 and also at
TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a
no disqualification match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
on December 4 to end their feud.
Bella then became the team captain of Team SmackDown for the traditional five–on–five elimination match at
Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the sec ...
.
However, at the event on November 20, she was replaced by Natalya, after someone attacked her backstage before the match. In December, just after their feud ended, Carmella revealed Natalya as the attacker, who eventually confirmed it with the main reason being Bella's success and Natalya's downfall in the company. Upon the beginning of 2017, both women kept attacking each other, which led to a match at
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel st ...
on February 12 that ended in a double count–out. In a rematch that took place on the February 21 episode of ''SmackDown'', Natalya defeated Bella in a
falls count anywhere match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
after
Maryse Maryse is a given name. Notable persons with this name include:
*Maryse Alberti, cinematographer
*Maryse Condé, author
*Maryse Dauvray, actress
*Maryse Lassonde, neuropsychologist
*Maryse Liburdi (formerly Maryse Thomas), CEO
*Maryse Marpsat, soci ...
attacked Bella with a
lead pipe
A pipe is a tubular section or hollow cylinder, usually but not necessarily of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow — liquids and gases (fluids), slurries, powders and masses of small solids. It ...
due to Bella accidentally tripping over her in the backstage
make up
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
area during her match with Natalya.
Maryse's attack sparked a feud between the two, which actually involved Bella's real real–life boyfriend
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
and Maryse's real–life husband,
The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame a ...
. This led to a
mixed tag team match
Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ma ...
between the two couples at
WrestleMania 33
WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 201 ...
on April 2, which Cena and Bella won. After the match, Cena
legitimately proposed to Bella, which she accepted. On April 4, Bella announced via her
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account that she would be taking time off from wrestling.
The Bella Twins made an appearance at the ''
25th Anniversary of Raw'' on January 22, 2018. A few days later, both Nikki and Brie competed in the inaugural women's
royal rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at the
2018 Royal Rumble on January 28, where Nikki entered at #27, lasting 16 minutes and 30 seconds before she was the last woman eliminated by the eventual winner
Asuka
Asuka may refer to:
People
* Asuka (name), a list of people
* Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler
* Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan
Places In Japan
* , an area in Yamato Province (now ...
. Both twins made an appearance at the
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
pay–per–view on August 19, showing their support for
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Jean Rousey (; born February 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, actress, former judoka and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand and is the current SmackDown Women’s ...
in her match with
Alexa Bliss
Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was ass ...
.
In September, The Bella Twins returned full-time on ''Raw'' and feuded with The Riott Squad (
Ruby Riott
Dori Elizabeth Prange ( ; born January 9, 1991) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to , Liv Morgan">orld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where she performs under the ring name Ruby Riot. Prange has also worked in Wor ...
), over which they scored victories in various tag team and singles matches. To even the odds, Ronda Rousey aligned with The Bella Twins, and the trio was able to defeat The Riott Squad at Super Show-Down (2018), Super Show-Down in a six–woman tag team match on October 6. Two days later on the October 8 episode of ''Raw'', after defeating The Riott Squad in a rematch, Nikki attacked Rousey, with Brie later following suit, turning
for the first time since 2015. Later that night, it was announced that Nikki would face Rousey for the
on October 28 in which she was unsuccessful despite multiple interferences by Brie.
On June 20, 2019, it was announced that a cyst had been found on Bella's brain, ending her in-ring career.
On the February 21, 2020, episode of ''SmackDown'', it was announced that Nikki and her twin sister Brie would be inducted into the
.
on April 11, 2021, Nikki, along with her sister Brie, appeared together and attacked
, sending her rolling down the ramp.
Despite being retired, on the January 7, 2022, episode of ''
. At the
before she was eliminated by her sister Brie, who was also in the match.
''.
. They also appeared in the music video for "
in 2014.
'' in October 2012.
'', in the 2014 episode "A Nightmare on State Street".
''. The show premiered on
on October 5, 2016.
''.
show ''The JBL & Cole Show''. She appeared at the
pageant as one of the celebrity judges. They appeared at the
, where they presented the award for Best Female. The twins were both nominated for Choice Female Athlete at the
.
On November 21, 2016, Nikki and Brie unveiled their new YouTube channel, "The Bella Twins.” The sisters’ channel features daily fashion, beauty, travel, fitness, relationship, and health videos, along with daily
s, created by the twins themselves. On April 2, 2018, The Bella Twins revealed that they were awarded the
for reaching 1 million subscribers for their channel.
The Bella Twins appeared in
's video "When Someone Tries to Steal Your BFF" on March 2, 2017. On August 21, 2017, Nikki and Brie launched their own wine label called Belle Radici in collaboration with Hill Family Estates and Gauge Branding. On September 6, 2017, Bella was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on the
''. She was paired with professional dancer
. She was eliminated on October 30, 2017.
On November 1, 2017, Nikki and Brie launched Birdiebee, a lifestyle intimates and activewear brand. The line includes transitional intimates, activewear, and loungewear aimed at “empowering and educating women through mirroring the twins’ passion for life, strength, women's health and wellness, and fun.”
On May 23, 2018, Bella appeared in the celebrity edition of
: Ninja vs Ninja.
On January 28, 2019, Nikki and Brie launched Nicole + Brizee, a body and beauty line.
On March 27, 2019, Nikki and Brie launched their own podcast, ''The Bellas Podcast'', with the Endeavour Audio network. In 2021, it was relaunched after being acquired by
.
In March 2020, Nikki and Brie released their memoir ''Incomparable'', which became
.
In 2021, Nikki and Brie launched another wine label called Bonita Bonita Wine. They also launched their own baby gear collection in partnership with Colugo. Nikki and Brie also announced that they joined Colugo as investors and are now creative advisors.
Nikki appeared on ''
. The series premiered on February 21, 2022, and concluded on March 14, 2022.
On October 19, 2022,
video games. She made her in-game debut in ''
''.
In May 2014, Nikki revealed on ''Total Divas'' that she had married her high school sweetheart at the age of 20; the marriage was
in 2012. The couple became engaged on April 2, 2017, when Cena proposed to her after their mixed tag-team match at
. On April 15, 2018, the couple called off the engagement and canceled their wedding, which was planned for May 5, 2018.
She has been dating her Season 25 ''
since January 2019. On January 3, 2020, the couple announced their engagement. On January 29, 2020, Nikki announced that she is expecting her first child alongside her twin sister Brie, who announced her own second pregnancy the same day. On June 11, 2020, on the season five finale of ''
'', Nikki announced the baby's sex, a boy. She gave birth to Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev on July 31, 2020. The couple married on August 26, 2022.
Nikki and her sister Brie are fans of the
football team.
''
** Ranked No. 1 of the top 50 female wrestlers in the