Nikki Bella Breaks Silence on WWE Return Plans and Motherhood—Inside Her Stunning 2025 Reveal

Nikki Bella electrified the WWE Universe last night on Monday Night Raw, returning to in-ring action alongside Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer in a high-stakes tag bout against Judgment Day’s Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez. The WWE Hall of Famer—who briefly reverted to her legal surname “Garcia” during a hiatus—entered the MVP Arena in Albany to thunderous chants of “Welcome back, Nikki!” moments before the bell rang. The match served as Bella’s first televised contest since her surprise Royal Rumble comeback in January and proved she can still hang with the new generation of talent. Early on, Bella ate stiff offense from Rodriguez, surviving a delayed vertical suplex and a corner splash before tagging Vaquer. Momentum shifted when Bella blind-tagged herself in, connected with her signature Alabama Slam and set up the Rack Attack 2.0, but a distraction from Perez allowed Rodriguez to break the pin. Vaquer eventually sealed the victory with La Mesedora while Bella neutralized Perez on the outside, capping a statement win that instantly vaulted the duo into the Women’s Tag Team Championship conversation. Social media reaction was immediate and intense. While fans praised Bella’s ring presence and chemistry with Vaquer, some critics pointed out mistimed spots, prompting heated debate among TikTok and X wrestling circles. Former WWE producer “Road Dog” Brian James even weighed in on his podcast, suggesting Bella “rushed” a sunset flip sequence—feedback that Bella retweeted with a shrug emoji before posting “Still #Fearless and loving every minute back home.” Newsweek covered the polarizing response, noting that botches in a high-profile return can “magnify under the brightest spotlight” yet rarely derail veterans of Bella’s stature. Backstage, WWE cameras captured Vaquer applauding her partner and teasing that the alliance is “just getting started.” Sources tell Fightful Select that creative pitches include a mini-feud with Perez and Rodriguez culminating at Survivor Series, where Nikki could chase her first title since 2016. There’s also chatter about incorporating Bella’s Bonita Bonita wine brand into storyline promos, echoing the successful product placements of past Total Divas seasons. Bella’s return arrives at a pivotal time for WWE’s women’s division, which is undergoing a renaissance under Triple H’s direction. With emerging stars like Perez, Cora Jade and Lyra Valkyria jockeying for airtime, veteran names provide both rub and rating bumps. Nielsen overnight numbers show Raw’s third hour—featuring the Bella/Vaquer tag match—jumped 11 percent in the coveted 18-34 demo compared with last week, reinforcing the business upside of nostalgia blended with fresh matchups. Looking ahead, Nikki Bella is advertised for next Monday’s Raw in Hartford and for a live Bonita Bonita wine tasting at Mohegan Sun on Saturday, signaling WWE’s intent to leverage her crossover appeal. Whether she captures more gold or simply elevates the next generation, one thing is clear: the Fearless One is back, and the women’s division just became must-see TV again.