WWE's Nikki Bella teases epic Clash in Paris match with Becky Lynch and original showdown that got pulled

“I feel extremely fortunate to be going in against Becky Lynch. She is an incredible champion and one of the greatest superstars of all time. But we have a lot of unfinished business,” said Bella.

“What is really fun about this match and exciting about this story is that we have both truly conquered different eras of WWE. Especially with the women, we have so many different iconic eras and so it’s like we are colliding and to do this at Clash in Paris is really exciting.”

Nikki Bella made her surprise return to the WWE at the 2025 Royal Rumble and she also featured in an epic Battle Royale at Evolution in July.

When Bella returned to the ring, the original plan was to feud with Liv Morgan. However, a spanner was thrown in the works as Morgan suffered a freak shoulder injury and was ruled out for a few months.

“[The original plan was to face Liv Morgan] at Evolution and then we talked about what would happen off of that going into Summer Slam, whether that was a Bella Twins reunion, it was all seen on how that story played out,” said Bella.

The Hall of Famer remarked that during her original WWE run during the Vince McMahon era, storylines were planned months in advance. However, since her return, things operate much differently under Chief Content Officer Triple H as storylines evolve from crowd reaction and engagements, making them much more flexible as “fans are [more] involved”.

Following the uncertainty with Liv Morgan’s injury, Bella told the WWE that “she was willing to prove herself” and “didn’t mind working from the ground up.” This led to an unexpected feud with Irish superstar Becky “The Man” Lynch.

“This came about organically with Becky and I. These are some of the best matches where things just start to happen. Because of the different momentum I was having with other women, it came naturally that Becky and I would fight,” said Bella.

She added: “What’s fun is that you never know what that story is going to be and how it has panned out has all been so natural. It’s like, ‘We never touched because you were scared of me. Who are you now? You’ve been gone.’ It’s been fun to see how this has evolved because this wasn’t the plan.”

One of Nikki Bella’s career highlights came recently as she teamed up with Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley and Stephanie Vaquer in the Eight-Woman Tag Team Match before SummerSlam 2025, as they faced off against Naomi, Chelsea Green, Alba Fyre and Piper Niven.

“That was a dream. All of us had so much fun together. We were all so excited for that and it was cute because we were all like, 'I don’t want this to end. I want to do this every week,'” said Bella.

“I am praying that we are seeing the future of our Survivor Series team. I’m not going to be here long and I embrace the moments that I am here and I hope to have that one last Survivor Series team feel.”

Bella asserts that the women's division is “the best it has ever, ever been” as wrestlers like Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer have elevated the industry with their incredible talents and big personalities.

“These women are so flawless in that ring and make it look so easy. It’s not even just how good they are at their craft; it’s the character that they bring to it. They each have a little bit of their own style,” said Bella.

“When I sit there and watch Iyo Sky, I am just in awe. I am like, 'Oh my gosh!' I love seeing what she does. Then I see Rhea Ripley and she does things as smooth as butter. She has this strength, but she’s so feminine, you can’t stop watching her. And then Stephanie has this strength about her, but also a sexiness.”

Bella explained that she was “so grateful” for her recent run in the WWE but “knows her place” within this new generation of superstars.

“Maybe 10 years ago, I could have been exactly where they’re at, being amongst girls like that and training with girls like that, but I know my place here and I know what I bring and I bring something different and I can elevate and give equity in different ways,” she said. “But what they’re doing, damn, it’s so much more fun to sit as a fan and watch it.”

Following her hugely successful first run in WWE, Bella became a media personality, New York Times bestseller and podcast host, amongst many other things. Despite having all of these other ventures and opportunities outside of the WWE, Bella was adamant that “she had one more go in her” and that as a professional wrestler, “That desire and fire never leaves you.”

The 41-year-old remarked that the opportunity to return to the ring came at the perfect moment as she was at a point in her life when she needed to find herself again and regain self-confidence. With that, she hoped that she would also inspire other women that “life isn’t over” in their 40s.

“I want to prove that you can be at any age and have a comeback, you do what you love, it’s not over," she added. "Even if you’re amongst these young athletes who are truly kicking so much butt, you can still bring something. It may not be the longest-reigning champion, but you still have something to give. Life isn’t over and your career isn’t done.

“It’s important for people to know, especially when you’re in your 40s, where you really hit midlife, that you can still dream, you can still conquer, you can still achieve and it can be whatever you desire. That’s what I’m doing now, I’m living proof that I can still dream, I can still conquer and achieve, life isn’t over. Yes, I’m a mom. Yes, I’m divorced. Yes, I’m these things but I’m still Nikki Bella and I’m still Nikki Bella in this era.”

WWE’s first ever Clash in Paris will stream live on Netflix at 7pm BST on Sunday 31st August. WWE is available to watch on Netflix in the UK and Ireland, including RAW, SmackDown, NXT, all Premium Live Events and the WWE archive.

You can sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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