Celebrity

Nikki Bella Makes Surprise Return to WWE at Royal Rumble After Divorce From Artem Chigvintsev

Nikki Bella is finally back in the ring after taking a step back from the WWE in 2022.

nikki-garcia-cornhole-wwe.jpg

Nikki Bella has stepped back into the ring. Nikki, who also uses her last name Garcia professionally, made her return to the WWE at the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis, per TMZ. Her return comes months after her split from husband Artem Chigvintsev and the drama surrounding it.

Nikki surprised the crowd as she entered the match in the #30 spot to her theme song, “You Can Look (But You Can’t Touch).” While her twin sister, Brie Bella, wasn’t by her side, Nikki, dressed in a red two-piece, held her own. She managed to knock out Bayley before being knocked out herself by Nia Jax. Nikki was the 27th wrestler eliminated. This marked The Traitors alum’s first appearance in WWE’s ring since 2022.

Videos by PopCulture.com

As previously mentioned, Nikki’s grand return back to wrestling comes months after she went through a highly-publicized split from Chigvintsev, with whom she shares a son, Matteo. Days after the pair’s second wedding anniversary in August 2024, authorities were called to their home in California. The DWTS alum was initially arrested for alleged felony domestic violence, but Napa County District Attorneyโ€™s office ultimately declined to file charges. Nikki later filed for divorce and they both filed temporary restraining orders against one another.

More recently, the professional wrestler spoke out about the situation in an interview with Us Weekly. She told the outlet in late January, โ€œEverything was very shocking, all of it. I was in shock. You couldnโ€™t have ever told me that this wouldโ€™ve been the ending of my 2024 or my marriage โ€” [I] wouldnโ€™t have believed you. It takes a long time to process something.โ€œ