Nikki Bella, whose real name is Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, has been one of the top wrestlers in the WWE fo years. She also appears on the show Total Bellas with her twin sister, Brie Bella. Nikki was engaged to legendary WWE star John Cena, and when the two split, it was rough.
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After they ended their relationship, the couple was fairly quiet on what the cause of their breakup was. They did make it clear, though, that there wasn't any bad blood between them.
"For anyone out there speculating on what I'm doing with my life now: I still love Nicole," Cena tweeted. "I would still love to marry Nicole. I still would love to have a family with Nicole."
The part about wanting a family with Nikki became more prevalent, after an episode of Total Bellas revealed that the couple split due to Cena not wanting to have kids. Clearly, he changed his tune, but the episode was emotionally raw. Nikki had frozen her eggs in the hopes of starting a family after she was done her WWE career, but Cena's hesitation made her question it all.
Both Nikki and Cena have since moved on and have been focusing on their professional engagements. Today, however, Nikki made two announcements that related to both her personal and professional life.
Professional
After signing with the WWE in 2007, the wrestling diva has decided to retire. She just returned from a European tour, and she cites the travel and making her realize it's time to call it quits.
I just feel like I'm too old for that travel. So I realized like, why am I doing this "” I don't feel good. I really am ready to hang up the jersey. Like, I can say it fully. Here's to closing one chapter and the next one opening.Being on the European tour, I've had a lot of time to think. Just how my body feels, being away from my company, how time-consuming this is.
It's making me realize I am ready to fold the jersey and put it away. I'm ready to put the kicks aside and I'm ready to take Nikki Bella into a different direction.
The announcement came a shock to a lot of people, especially those who looked up to Bella.
"nikki bella is the closest thing wwe has ever had to "the next trish stratus" one person wrote.
"Love these women!" wrote Nia Jax, another WWE star. "I'm forever in debt to them for all the knowledge they have shared and the example they have set for me & millions around the world. Your work ethic, kindness, passion & bravery continues to inspire! THANK YOU @BellaTwins love you MY SISTERS "
"Nikki Bella adapted really well, worked really hard and became a performer that I really enjoyed watching," wrote Shawn Ross. "Her forearm was one of my favorite offensive moves on the show for a while, and I particularly enjoyed her series with Charlotte in 2015. Best wishes to her in retirement"
Nikki is a two-time Diva champion, and is also the longest reigning.
Personal
In addition to her big professional announcement, Nikki confirmed that she's dating Dancing With The Stars pro Artem Chigvinstev. The duo danced together when the wrestler appeared on season 25 of the show, and have been casually linked for a while now.
After an Instagram post of her and Chigvinstev smooching, it's pretty clear that it's a little more than casual.
"Well after that season finale [referencing Total Bellas] 😳 First thing I'll be talking about this Wednesday... oh and all those paparazzi photos (thanks for all the great shots 🙄 and smashing my food 🙄 lol) Swipe up in my IG story."
Nikki also said that she'll be talking more about the relationship on her podcast, which releases on Wednesday. Chigvinstev also posted a picture of him and his girlfriend, but his didn't include a caption.
It's been a whirlwind few months for Nikki Bella, but it seems like she's finally going to have some time to enjoy her new romance.
