WWE Surprisingly Contradicts Nikki Bella’s John Cena Claim

Nikki Bella paid tribute to John Cena during her match against Raquel Rodriguez and Stephanie Vaquer in a triple threat match for the Women’s World Championship. Or, did she?

A moment from the match had gone viral, where Nikki Bella had put Raquel Rodriguez in a chokehold. Fans assumed it was the STF and she was paying tribute to John Cena.

However, the WWE Hall of Famer has refuted the claims on the Nikki & Brie Show, revealing that it was the ‘Fearless Lock’, and she had been doing this for ages.

I think people forgot, not everyone, but I used to do the Fearless Lock. Yes, it was during a period of time when John and I were together, but the Fearless Lock is different from his submission, it really is. He lays on top of people and grabbing the front face. The Fearless Lock is a legit submission Shayna (Baszler) gave me. We named it the Fearless Lock.

WWE still claims Nikki Bella paid tribute to John Cena

During the match, fans began chanting ‘Thank You Cena’, to which Bella yelled out ‘No, thank me!’. Following that, she gave her clarification on the podcast. However, WWE has stuck to the notion of her paying tribute to John Cena and reiterated that on social media.

Nikki Bella with a little tribute of her own! 🫡

Nikki Bella with a little tribute of her own! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Z9krPFMH1U

— WWE (@WWE) January 1, 2026

This contradiction is surprising given that the superstar herself clarified that she wasn’t paying a tribute.

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