Nikki and Brie Bella both announced their retirements from professional wrestling in 2019, ending the in-ring careers of two WWE Hall of Famers. And the way in which they retired shouldn’t be lost on wrestling fans.
This year, the WWE Universe will finally get to see the women main event a WrestleMania, and it has truly been a long time coming. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey have reached the pinnacle of the wrestling industry and have built a storyline that has been brewing since August of last year, and Becky, in particular, has become the biggest star in the sport along the way.
But to truly appreciate how big of a moment this is for women in wrestling – and the women who have watched wrestling for decades without being represented to the fullest by companies like WWE – it is imperative that we appreciate the superstars who came before the women of today.
Brie and Nikki Bella are undoubtedly on that list of legends. They formed the essential bridge from the Divas Era to the current Evolution of the WWE Women’s Divisions, and their importance to women’s wrestling went undervalued for far too long.
So when both women announced their retirements from wrestling this year, it wasn’t a surprise to see an outpouring of support from the WWE Universe. Countless fans have grown up watching the Bella Twins as a fundamental part of WWE programming, and they’ve taken notice of how much the Bellas furthered the attention placed on the Women’s Division – and how much they sacrificed their health, especially Nikki, for this sport.
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Both women made their announcements on Total Bellas, with Nikki’s retirement coming in the show’s season finale. It was a very humble way for both women, who, again, are legends in this industry and among the most popular superstars of the past decade, to walk away from a business they helped define.
That shouldn’t be lost on wrestling fans, who are celebrating the first ever women’s WrestleMania main event. The closing moments of Apr. 7 will be for Becky, Charlotte, and Ronda to own, but any WWE fan knows how much wrestlers like Naomi, Victoria, Molly Holly, Jazz, Trish Stratus, Mickie James, Rosa Mendes, Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox, Torrie Wilson the Bella Twins, and so many more women I don’t have the space in this column to list worked for a moment like this.
And for as much as a few disgruntled WWE fans – largely angry men whose voices have never mattered in this discussion – like to discredit the Bellas or talk about how they stole the spotlight from others, their retirement announcements are more definitive proof of their ignorance. The Bellas have always done their best to support other women on the roster, and unlike other superstars, they have quietly retired from active competition with decorum and dignity.
But if they decided to retire after a Women’s Tag Team Championship match with Sasha Banks and Bayley, nobody would have faulted them. In fact, while we got to see Nikki main event Evolution against Rousey (a match that has an astounding 24 million views on YouTube) and shine in the 2018 Women’s Rumble at the end against Asuka, it’s a shame we never got to see Nikki and Brie team up one last time. It’s a shame that injuries and the stress of traveling and wrestling forced both women to retire at such a young age.
All is not sad, though. Because the Bella Twins have so much more ahead of them in their lives as podcasters, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and empowering voices. They’ve done more for this industry in and out of the ring than we realized, and I am both thankful for their dedication and for the many fans who have shared their stories of how the Bellas have inspired them.
The in-ring chapter of the Bellas career has ended, but they’ll continue to set an example for others in the wrestling business and make a positive difference in this world.