Speaking on The Nikki and Brie Show, Brie Bella reflected on finally landing a singles match on the July 3 episode of SmackDown, an opportunity she had been pushing for. She put over Lainey Reid in under 4 minutes.
“As everyone saw this past Friday Night SmackDown, I finally got a singles match,” Brie said. “I’ve been pitching a while to have a singles match. I’ve been wanting it forever.”
While thrilled for the chance, Brie admitted she was disappointed by the limited time the match received. She pointed to SmackDown’s return to a two-hour format as the culprit, which has left the roster competing for television time.
“When I heard the times, I was bummed, but also I understand,” she said. “SmackDown is back to two hours, so all of a sudden you’re back to fighting for TV time.” Ever the optimist, Brie framed it as another obstacle to overcome. “You can give me a hard time, and I’m gonna make something out of it,” she said, adding that she remains grateful for every opportunity to compete.
Brie also expressed pride in what she’s able to do in the ring at this stage of her career. “Being back wrestling, I’m proud to be 42, gonna be 43 this year, keeping up with people that are much younger than me,” she said.
“Look at me at 42 jumping off the top rope and hitting a missile dropkick.” She acknowledged the recovery is tougher than it once was. “Granted, the next morning I feel a little different than I did 10 years ago, but I’m proud that I can. I’m in there at my best cardio.”
