The Bella Twins are set to return to the ring at WWE Royal Rumble when they enter the women's royal rumble match.
Their return was announced on WWE SmackDown, spoiling what could have been a major surprise for the match. Nikki & Brie were surprised their return was announced but found the positive in it as they hope it means the Bella Army will be present in St. Louis.
"I was shocked they announced it because usually, these are surprises, but I understand, marketing-wise," said Nikki on The Bellas Podcast.
Brie added, "Business-wise, it makes sense because now we can have the whole Bella Army there."
Nikki echoed her sister's thoughts by saying, "Selfishly, that's why I was happy about it. No one would have ever expected you and I to be in the Rumble, so it makes me happy that the Bella Army knows and they can go."
Along with the Bella Twins returning, WWE announced Summer Rae, Kelly Kelly, Lita, Mickie James, and other legends from the past will be present in the women's Royal Rumble. Getting to see old friends has Brie excited.
"It's always fun to have surprises. My guess is, there will still be surprises, but I have no idea. Is it a comeback? The greatest thing about WWE and big pay-per-views like the Royal Rumble is you can come back for one great night and have fun. When I saw that Lita is in it, even Summer Rae. I can't wait to see Summer. That's what the Royal Rumble does, it brings together all these different generations of women and men to meet in the ring for one big night and that's why it's important to go to the Royal Rumble because you might not see a lot of our faces again for a very long time," she said.
Nikki mentioned that fans might see them around more often, saying that they have the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles in the sights. Nikki even brought up the possibility of winning the Royal Rumble and then challenging for the Women's Tag Team Titles.
Brie said that even though she's retired multiple times, she always wants to return.
The Bella Twins have not wrestled since 2018. In September, Nikki said she had been put on the "retired bench for life" by doctors. In November, Nikki reiterated that she was unsure if she would ever be able to return to the ring.
Speaking about her quest for clearance, Nikki revealed that she was cleared over the holidays while in Phoenix.
"In the world of wrestling, or any professional sport, people always make comebacks. What's beautiful about WWE is we can make comebacks as many times as we want, as long as our bodies let us and doctors. I officially got cleared. I think everyone remembers from Total Bellas, when we had the first women's Royal Rumble, there were a lot of rules on me. Those are the same. When we were in Phoenix, I went in and saw my surgeon. They scanned me, I did MRI, scans on my brain, my neck, everything you can think of, they did. I was manifesting 'please let this be a clearance' because I felt bad if all these people came in (for the holidays) and it was a big 'no.' I wanted to share with everyone, but it's been a secret. It feels good to know. Miracles can happen," she stated.
Nikki expressed her gratitude to the doctors for staying open for the holidays to help her with testing and gaining clearance.
Both women said they plan on winning the Rumble, have been working on various things, and are excited to share their workouts with fans.
You can view the current lineup for the Women's Royal Rumble by clicking here.
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