Nikki Bella Makes Heartbreaking Confession After Missing WWE WrestleMania

Nikki Bella was scheduled to be part of this year’s WrestleMania 42 match card. However, she had to miss the action because of an ankle injury.

Bella sustained a severe ankle injury during an exchange with Charlotte Flair on the March 27 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. She had to undergo surgery in Birmingham in early April 2026 to repair the damage.

Nikki tried her best to make it to WrestleMania, but couldn’t because she wasn’t medically cleared to compete. As a replacement, returning star Paige filled in for her, and the new duo of Brie Bella and Paige went on to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions at the Grandest Stage of Them All on Saturday last weekend.

Nikki Bella Is Heartbroken Over Missing WrestleMania 42

On the recent edition of The Nikki and Brie Show, Nikki Bella addressed her injury and confessed to the emotional toll her injury took on her. Bella revealed that she had been working very hard ever since she returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble 2025 last year.

She was really looking forward to having her WrestleMania moment this year. However, her ankle injury ruined all her plans. Bella added that this year was probably her last WrestleMania that she would have been able to share with her family members, and missing that moment has been a really hard pill to swallow for her.

I don’t think a WrestleMania moment for me is going to come around [in the USA]. I get that I’ll probably have my last WrestleMania next year in Saudi Arabia, maybe, but other than that, that will be it for me. So this would have been my last WrestleMania moment to share with family members and share with people here and, you know, really feel something.

And I’ve worked really hard the past year and a half, and I haven’t complained. I’ve done what I’ve been told. You know, I’ve helped put people over, even though I don’t care about that.

But I’ve really–as far as my character and the impact that I can have, I’ve been very okay taking a step back and helping out and not b*tching about it. So this was my moment that I worked really hard for this past year and a half. And for that to all go away is extremely hard.

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