WWE Confirms Ex-World Champion Missed SmackDown Due To Injury
A former WWE world champion has been bitten by the injury bug just ahead of her title match at WrestleMania 42.
The 42-year-old superstar wasn’t seen on this week’s episode of SmackDown despite the company having just three weeks left on the Road to WrestleMania. While her absence didn’t go unnoticed, the Stamford-based promotion has officially confirmed that she is injured.
Female WWE Superstar Is Getting Rehab Ahead of Major Career Milestone
This week’s blue-branded show saw Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair face Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. The reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Nia Jax and Lash Legend, were witnessing the bout from the ringside. However, The Bella Twins were nowhere to be found.
Notably, in the latest episode of the Nikki and Brie Show, Nikki Bella was seen wearing a walking boot. And now, it is official that she is dealing with an injury. Notably, Bella 02 got the injury last week on SmackDown, where she was seen limping after getting her ankle twisted. However, the company is expecting her to recover ahead of WrestleMania 42.
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This was the clip where Nikki bella “rolled her ankle” it had nothing to do with Nia Jax.This also shows that the injury is not serious pic.twitter.com/g6RG6O12SE
— SuplexInsider (@SuplexInsider) March 29, 2026
The former two-time Divas Champion is currently getting rehab to nurse her ankle back to top shape. Commentators Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore also mentioned this on air on this week’s blue-branded show.
The Bella Twins have never held tag team gold in the company before, despite being one of the most iconic tag teams in the history of WWE. The duo had announced their intention to go for the tag titles right after Brie Bella returned at the 2026 Royal Rumble.
Brie and Nikki Bella had received a shot at the tag titles against Lash Legend and Nia Jax. However, owing to interference from Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, the match ended in disqualification. Now, all four teams will face each other in a Fatal Four Way match at WrestleMania 42.