Why Nikki Bella Refused To Delay First WWE Singles Match In 7 Years
Nikki Bella has revealed how she really felt after her return to singles action on WWE Raw and why she didn’t want to put the match off any longer.
WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella returned to the ring for the first time in seven years at Evolution, where she was part of a battle royal to find a number one contender for a title match at Clash In Paris.
Bella failed to win that match with Stephanie Vaquer claiming the win, but Bella was far from done. On the 14th of July edition of Raw, Nikki Bella was in singles action, where she picked up a win over Chelsea Green. After the bout, the Secret Hervice attacked Bella, but Vaquer came to her rescue.
Nikki Bella Suffers Serious Cottonmouth In Singles WWE Return
Speaking on the Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki Bella reflected on her first singles match in seven years and how she was left struggling to catch her breath:
The one thing is, is when you can’t help when you get the full cottonmouth. You can be so hydrated, but when that happens, which is always right in the beginning, it’s as if you didn’t have water for two weeks. Nerves and I haven’t had a (singles) match in seven years. I was so blown up inside.
A lot of people were complimenting me backstage. When I was getting my butt kicked at the end, you know me, I had no more breath. My age, that was my ninth day being on the road, I hadn’t been sleeping. All the things that can go up against you. No excuses, by the way. It’s been seven years, that’s all I need to say. I couldn’t even catch my breath if I wanted to.
Nikki Bella was then asked about her mindset heading into the bout, and revealed it had been suggested she delay it by a week, but that was out of the question:
I said, ‘F yeah, let’s do it,’ for sure. My mindset has always been, if you’re getting an opportunity to have a match on Raw, you don’t deny that, you take it. I’m also in this era where I’m here to prove something to myself. When I’ve been training at the dungeon and gone to the PC, it’s training, but deep down I’m like, ‘Where am I match-wise?’ It’s different, and we don’t do live events.
In the past, if you came back from injury or it’s been a long time, you go do live events and you know where you’re at match-wise so you know what to work on and your condition. Even training, we weren’t doing matches, I don’t know where I’m at. I was curious about that, even though it was live on Raw, to know where I’m at. I have to start somewhere. Can’t keep doing battle royals and Royal Rumbles.
Someone said to me, ‘I think you should say no and you should have that week to build up to it at the PC or dungeon.’ I was like, ‘No, I’m going to do it.’ Now, I know where I’m at.