Nikki Bella hasn’t appeared on WWE programming since WrestleMania 33 . John Cena proposed to Nikki only a few minutes after the couple beat The Miz and Maryse on the grandest stage of them all. Since then, the former WWE Divas Champion has kept busy with outside projects while also recovering from some nagging neck issues. However, Anaheim received a surprise when Nikki Bella returned to Raw last night.
The WWE Universe was surprised for a couple of reasons. As it relates to WWE, she’s still an exclusive star to SmackDown Live. However, Nikki didn’t actually appear on Raw last night. During a commercial break, Nikki Bella filmed a segment with her dancing partner, Artem Chigvintsev, for Dancing With the Stars. The segment will showcase her ties to WWE. It also gave her involvement with the show some free promotion.
Nikki has gained plenty of mainstream attention this year for her ties to WWE and John Cena. Meanwhile, the second season of Total Bellas is currently airing on the E! Network. Her involvement on Dancing With the Stars is only going to continue to elevate her status in the public eye, especially if she can make it deep into the upcoming season. Over the coming weeks, the WWE Universe will be seeing more of Nikki Bella.
It has been five months since she’s wrestled a match. Nikki has confirmed that she will return to the ring at some point, but she seems to be hopeful that Brie Bella will join her. Brie’s WWE comeback may push back Nikki’s return to the ring, but the expectation is the Bella Twins will be returning together to SmackDown Live or Raw if WWE officials want to make a major change. On paper, they should be back early next year.
Being a participant on the new season of Dancing With the Stars is a big opportunity for Nikki Bella to get some mainstream exposure on a major network. She will also be able to push the Bella brand, WWE, and give a lot more attention to her upcoming wedding with Cena. When Nikki returns to the ring, there will be a lot more eyes on her, which could make her the perfect opponent for Ronda Rousey. That would be a big match to return for next year. For the time being, Nikki Bella is doing an excellent job reaching into a new stratosphere of superstardom. The truth is by the end of 2017, Nikki Bella may not need to wrestle again.
[Featured Image by WWE]
