Nikki & Brie Bella were two of the first women who began to elevate the women's division in WWE. The twins weren't afraid to stand up for what they believed in and helped push the division forward both in the ring and off-screen.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, the Bellas discussed the creative freedom they were given in WWE.
"Anytime you're in something that's scripted you expect to go in and it be like, 'Okay, this is how you're going to be, this is who you are, ABCD.' With WWE, it was actually a lot different for us. It was like, 'We have this story idea. Here are the keys, here's the truck, now drive it.' You do get held back in some ways. There are definitely times you want to be more creative with your character and they're like, 'Eh, we want it this way.' But overall, when Vince said that to us, we were like, 'We have a lot of freedom here.' It was powerful for us because we weren't expecting that but it helped make our minds work," said Brie.
Of course, to have freedom in WWE, chances are you need a good relationship with Vince McMahon. And the Bellas met with Vince often to build that relationship.
"He's definitely intimidating," said Brie when asked about going to Vince.
Nikki added, "You do get scared going in, I don't know why."
Brie then discussed sitting down and talking with Vince in his office, saying, "Sometimes you forget how to talk properly. But the thing you feel from Vince is that he appreciated when you came in with ideas or to pick his brain. Nicole and I, you'd see us waiting outside the door and you'd have to wait for like an hour. But every time we sat down with Vince, it was always a gentle conversation. He definitely yelled at us a couple of times at Gorilla. That was scary. But we always walked out (of his office) understanding the story or the bigger picture or changing something in a way that's like, 'You're right.'
"It was crazy because the minute you build that relationship with Vince, you realize how easy it is to go to him. If you're a talent who never goes to Vince, you're always going to look at him like 'Scary Vince' when really he's not."
Nikki added that after talking to Vince, it was difficult to be disappointed in the direction you were going in WWE.
The Bellas were set to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, but the coronavirus pandemic caused the company to postpone the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Their new book "Incomparable" is in stores now.
If you use any of the quotes above, please give a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
