There’s often a stereotype that exists within a portion of the WWE Universe regarding Brie and Nikki Bella’s success in the company. In the peak time of the WWE Divas era, the two not only saw a meteoric rise but also solidified themselves as two of the bona fide star powers in the company, also having mainstream appeal.
In a recent edition of The Nikki & Brie Show, Bryan Danielson, Brie’s husband & also someone who saw the Bella Twins’ rise first-hand in the locker room, has commented on the aspect. The former WWE Champion only had praise to offer to her sister-in-law Nikki Bella, countering the criticisms that often come around her WWE career.
Speaking in the conversation, Danielson rejected the notion that her success was only credited to her good looks. But rather, he emphasized how tough Nikki Bella had worked to get to the top of the Divas division. With the below comments, another theory of the elder Bella finding success just because she was a WWE franchise player, John Cena’s girlfriend, also gets wiped out.
“You worked so hard,” Danielson told Nikki Bella. “There are people who say, ‘Oh, you were only here because you were pretty,’ or whatever… but I was there. I watched how hard you worked, I watched how hard Brie worked.”
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Daniel Bryan praised Brie and Nikki Bella’s efforts in the WWE
The former Daniel Bryan’s comments on The Bellas also validate the contribution of the WWE Divas era to the Women’s Evolution. The Divas era was a time when women wrestlers were rarely given opportunities to showcase their in-ring skills, but they ultimately managed to make a difference. Brie and Nikki Bella experienced the transition first-hand and left their mark on it.
“That was such a tough time to be a woman in wrestling, and you guys just crushed it,” Bryan further added to put her stamp on the hard work put up by the two Bellas in their heyday.
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Danielson further noted that the people who criticized the twin sisters never saw the dedication they had toward the business and the will to build the Divas division as a whole. This happened during a phase when women’s wrestling had limited creative support, but still, Brie and Nikki Bella managed to stand out on their own.
The Bellas never had full-fledged WWE returns since 2016, but rather, they were used in one-off storylines in a special capacity. After staying away from active competition since the 2022 women’s Royal Rumble match, Nikki Bella came back for the 2025 edition, which turned out to be one of the most-discussed topics all around the circuit, encouraging her for more such outings in the ring.