Dave Meltzer provided a fresh update on Nikki Bella’s status for WrestleMania 42 in his Sunday daily update at F4WOnline, and the news is not encouraging for fans hoping to see the Bella Twins compete on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
“Regarding Nikki Bella and participating in the match at WrestleMania, I was just told a few minutes ago, ‘it’s too close to call,'” Meltzer wrote.
The injury
Nikki Bella suffered an ankle injury early in a tag team match alongside her sister Brie against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss on the March 27 episode of SmackDown. According to her own account on a recent appearance on Angie Martinez’s IRL YouTube channel, she initially thought the ankle was broken but pushed through to finish the match because of how much was already built around the WrestleMania story.
“I thought it possibly could be broken, because I’ve had a break before and the rush that was going through my calf, and I couldn’t put weight on it. I was like, oh, I think I just broke my ankle. I just knew something was wrong, but I knew this was starting the story to WrestleMania. So in my head, I knew there were girls in the back waiting to run in. I knew there was just a lot of women a part of this match, and I didn’t wanna let anyone down.”
Nikki said she was waiting on MRI results to determine the severity of the injury, which has since been described as a sprain, with the question being whether it is a high ankle sprain or something more serious. She was photographed in a walking boot at a Nikki & Brie Show taping shortly after the SmackDown match.
What this means for WrestleMania 42
The Bella Twins are advertised for a fatal four-way for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship on Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. The match is scheduled to feature champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend defending against the Bellas, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
Per Meltzer’s reporting in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, if Nikki cannot get cleared to compete, WWE will have to decide what to do with Brie. There has also been talk that the Kabuki Warriors could replace the Bella Twins in the four-way, though that is not yet confirmed. Meltzer also reported that the match could be moved to Backlash on May 9 in Tampa if the situation cannot be resolved by Saturday.
The full WrestleMania 42 card
WrestleMania 42 takes place Saturday April 18 and Sunday April 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It is the first WrestleMania to air on ESPN, with the first hour of both nights free on the ESPN app.
Night 1 (Saturday April 18):
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton (with Pat McAfee) for the Undisputed WWE Championship
- Nia Jax and Lash Legend (c) vs. The Bella Twins vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a fatal four-way for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship (Nikki Bella’s status pending)
- Additional matches to be announced
Night 2 (Sunday April 19):
- CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship
- Additional matches to be announced
The full card will be finalized on the go-home editions of Raw on Monday April 13 from Sacramento and SmackDown on Friday April 17 from Las Vegas.
We will continue to monitor Nikki Bella’s status and update accordingly.
If you use quotes from this article, please credit F4WOnline.com, Angie Martinez IRL, and include a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
