Nikki Bella Discusses Wwe Evolution

In October 2018, Nikki Bella was 1 of nan featured superstars successful a historical WWE arena called Evolution. It was nan company’s first all-women’s pay-per-view, and Bella’s lucifer was nan main event: a conflict pinch “Raw” Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, which she lost.

WWE is bringing backmost Evolution this Sunday, successful Atlanta, pinch Bella, 41, rejoining a women’s section that has, well, evolved since nan first version of nan arena was held astir 7 years ago.

“The women person conscionable raised nan barroom truthful overmuch and they proceed to bargain nan show, proceed to bargain nan PLEs (premium unrecorded events, fundamentally WWE’s modern-day type of pay-per-views), arsenic we saw astatine WrestleMania, we spot each week, whether it’s ‘Monday Night Raw’ aliases ‘Friday Night SmackDown,’” Bella, who is besides known to her fans arsenic Nikki Garcia, tells TODAY.com. “So I conscionable consciousness for illustration it’s nan cleanable clip to bring this backmost and to springiness nan fans an full show that is conscionable dedicated to women’s wrestling.”

When nan creation of nan first Evolution was announced successful 2018, then-WWE exec Stephanie McMahon and her husband, existent Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, cited nan request connected societal media for much opportunities for female superstars arsenic an inspiration for nan event.

“Because of each of you, men and women utilizing your voices for change, we are capable to supply nan level to show nan world that women tin do thing and beryllium thing they want to be,” McMahon said astatine nan time.

Nikki Bella.WWE

In nan years since, WWE’s women’s section has seen nan emergence of apical stars for illustration Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair, and nan continuing beingness of veterans specified arsenic Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. It was Lynch and Flair who, on pinch Rousey, became nan first women to main arena a WrestleMania, successful 2019, little than a twelvemonth aft Evolution. (Belair faced erstwhile WWE prima Sasha Banks successful 2021 successful nan first WrestleMania main arena to characteristic 2 Black women.)

Bella, a multiple-time champion and a WWE Hall of Famer, has taken announcement of what nan existent harvest of female superstars tin do successful nan ring.

“The diversion expertise is conscionable done nan roof. They are doing immoderate of nan aforesaid type of matches nan men are. Like, beyond being successful a cage. It’s pinch tables and ladders, and it’s nan activity and nan storytelling and what they do,” she says.

Bella believes Evolution tin go an yearly arena erstwhile nan women person nan opportunity to showcase their skills this weekend. Not only does she judge it, but she says Evolution needs to beryllium an yearly event.

“I deliberation group perpetually want much of nan women and also, it gives america thing different,” she explains. “All of our PLEs are typical and different successful their ain unsocial ways, and why not person thing conscionable for nan women each year?”

Bella stepped backmost from wrestling successful 2019 owed to an injury but has made occasional high-profile appearances since, including successful this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match. She announced connected nan July 7 section of “Raw” that she will beryllium taking portion successful a conflict royal astatine Evolution. The victor will gain a title lucifer for nan Clash successful Paris arena successful precocious August.

About a period earlier she was named a subordinate successful nan conflict royal, she was attacked by 1 half of nan WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan, connected “Raw.” The infinitesimal appeared to beryllium a tease of an eventual lucifer betwixt nan two, but Morgan later suffered a enarthrosis injury that, according to Bella, led to a alteration successful plans.

Bella says of their storyline feud, “It was going to beryllium a very epic story, very personal. It bums maine retired because we were taking it to a spot that I consciousness for illustration a batch of group haven’t yet taken it before, and it was going to extremity successful having a lucifer astatine Evolution. And that wasn’t going to beryllium nan extremity of it.”

As for what mightiness hap betwixt them erstwhile Morgan recovers from her injury?

“I don’t want to opportunity excessively overmuch because sometimes what’s nan beauty of our business is injuries happen, but now this builds moreover much layers to a communicative that was going to hap and now tin beryllium successful nan future, and it conscionable adds to it,” she says.

When asked whether nan planned lucifer for Evolution could person included Brie Bella — her copy sister, podcast co-host and chap WWE Hall of Famer — she says, “It’s decidedly been talked astir and Brie hasn’t gotten nan telephone yet (to participate successful Evolution), but nan fans want it really bad. I want it really bad. She wants it really bad. And I consciousness for illustration my comeback won’t beryllium complete until nan Bella Twins reunite successful nan ring.”

Bella says she’s been getting into “really bully shape” and that arsenic agelong arsenic her “body tin do it,” she’s motivated to proceed her wrestling profession for nan foreseeable future.

“I don’t want it to conscionable beryllium like, ‘Oh, yay, she showed her look and present she is and was,’” she says. “I want to person an impact. I want this comeback to make a connection and I want it to beryllium for a while. I don’t want to do a speedy successful and out... I would really for illustration to situation myself successful this caller women’s section and push myself to nan limits and get retired of my comfortableness zone.”

Another root of information is her son, Matteo, who turns 5 successful precocious July. It’s important to Bella that he beryllium capable to spot her execute successful nan ring.

“I consciousness for illustration we’re successful this time now wherever these small boys get to beryllium raised up seeing their moms beryllium profession women, beryllium really beardown women, empowering women, and he gets to spot that up adjacent and personal. It’s for illustration raising my ain small feminist,” she said during this week's quality connected "TODAY."

She echoes that thought during her question and reply pinch TODAY.com.

“From nan infinitesimal I was pregnant, I’m like, ‘One time I want my boy to beryllium ringside to spot what his mom’s done nan mostly of her life.’ And I want that to happen,” she says. “I deliberation that’s what motivates maine moreover much for this comeback, and to person an unthinkable comeback and person it beryllium for a agelong time, is I want him to spot that. I want him to consciousness it. I want him to person those halfway memories pinch him of like, that was my mom and this is what she did and this is really it impacted maine and really it raised maine to be.”

However, she makes it clear that her domiciled arsenic a mom takes privilege complete her domiciled arsenic a WWE superstar.

“My boy will ever beryllium first nary matter what, and if thing ever interferes pinch that, he’s No. 1. But I cognize arsenic a profession female and arsenic a master wrestler and WWE superstar, I tin make some hap and beryllium awesome astatine both,” she says.