Nikki Bella returned to the WWE spotlight in 2025, stepping through the curtain as entrant number 30 at the Royal Rumble on February 1 in Indianapolis, then appearing on Monday Night Raw in June as the company settled into its new Netflix era. The comeback followed a turbulent year off the mat, including a finalized divorce from Artem Chigvintsev, a recommitment to parenting her son Matteo, and a busy slate of media and business projects.
Why her 2025 matters
The timing of Bella’s comeback intersected with a shift in how wrestling reaches fans, as Raw moved to Netflix in January. Her pop at the Rumble, her subsequent television return, and the steady hum of podcast and reality appearances restored a familiar figure to a changing landscape, one where streaming windows and cross‑platform personalities define reach and relevance. Bella’s return also arrived with real‑life context, a completed divorce settlement in the spring, and renewed attention to her life away from the ring.
The year in the ring, at a glance
- Royal Rumble, Feb. 1, Indianapolis, entered at No. 30, lasted to the closing stretch, then exited after a tangle with Nia Jax
- Raw appearance set for June 9, part of WWE’s post‑Rumble programming as the show found an audience on Netflix
- Late July, an eight‑woman tag on Raw left Bella nursing a painful, unusual injury, which she discussed in detail on her podcast
“It felt like being home,” she said of the locker room welcome during her return, a nod to the familiarity of WWE travel and tapings.
Beyond the ropes, a full calendar
- The Nikki & Brie Show continued to publish multiple episodes each week, keeping her voice present for a core audience, and offering equal parts personal updates, interviews and light‑hearted banter
- Bonita Bonita, the wine label she operates with sister Brie, expanded its community touchpoints with a speakeasy‑style tasting experience in downtown Napa, which doubled as a brand storytelling venue
- In early 2025 she also popped up in Peacock’s The Traitors, expanding her reality resume and keeping her in front of non‑wrestling viewers
Fact file, achievements and legacy
Bella’s competitive resume is anchored by achievements that still resonate inside WWE lore:
- Longest Divas Championship reign, 301 days, a benchmark that outlived the title itself
- WWE Hall of Fame induction as part of The Bella Twins, recognition for both ring work and cultural reach
- A mainstream reality television footprint that includes Total Divas and Total Bellas, plus more recent projects in the gameshow and competition space
Her public profile was built during the Divas era, then tested during WWE’s shift toward deeper women’s divisions and longer showcase matches. That evolution placed her at the center of praise and criticism, a paradox she embraced. She headlined the all‑women Evolution card opposite Ronda Rousey in 2018, a spotlight that kept her relevant even as injuries and outside projects pulled her from full‑time schedules.
2025 personal headlines, explained
Bella and Chigvintsev finalized their divorce in 2024, with the settlement approved in 2025. The agreement set terms for child support and shared custody, details that she kept largely behind the microphone on her own show. Late in the year, social media posts from a trip to Philadelphia sparked fresh speculation about her dating life, the kind of attention that tends to follow celebrity athletes even when nothing is confirmed. Through it all, she pointed focus back to her son, her schedule, and the slow grind of training.
Data box, key dates and markers
Date | Event | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
Nov. 21, 1983 | Born in San Diego | Sets age context for a veteran return in 2025 |
2015 | PWI Female 50 No. 1, longest Divas title reign at 301 days | Peak year for accolades |
2020 | WWE Hall of Fame, The Bella Twins | Institutional recognition |
Aug. 26, 2022 | Married Artem Chigvintsev | Personal milestone prior to split |
2023 | Public rebrand to the Garcia twins | New chapter outside WWE |
Jan. 6, 2025 | Raw premieres on Netflix | New broadcast era |
Feb. 1, 2025 | Royal Rumble return at No. 30 | First match back in three years |
Spring 2025 | Divorce settlement finalized | Closes a year of legal and personal uncertainty |
July 28, 2025 | In‑ring injury on Raw, later described on podcast | Health and durability question, continued schedule |
Dec. 2025 | Social posts in Philadelphia spark dating chatter | Public attention, unconfirmed rumors |
Health and risk
Her late July injury, which she discussed candidly and with her usual humor, underscored the hazards of modern TV matches, which are faster and more collaborative, and arrive week after week. She continued to train, travel and appear, a sign that the comeback is more than a nostalgia run.
Business and media positioning
- Wine, events and club drops keep Bonita Bonita visible, with the Napa speakeasy adding experiential storytelling to a brand founded by two athletes turned entrepreneurs
- Microphone time matters, and her podcast’s twice‑weekly cadence creates a predictable touchpoint for sponsors and fans
- Reality competition appearances maintain crossover reach, which helps when a wrestling return needs broader marketing oxygen
What to watch next
Bella has left the door open for more WWE stories, which makes sense in a year when streaming has turned Monday nights into a global push notification. Whether she leans into a full program, tags with Brie for a one‑off, or plays a veteran foil for a new champion, the stage is there, and the appetite for familiar faces alongside new stars remains strong.
Bottom line
Nikki Bella’s 2025 is a mix of nostalgia, new distribution, and personal reinvention. The record book will still list her title marks, the Hall of Fame plaque will still hang, but the year’s story is about how a veteran, now a mother and entrepreneur, fits into wrestling’s streaming era, one entrance theme and one red light at a time.