Nikki Bella believes her first match with Paige in nearly 11 years had the kind of anticipation normally reserved for a premium live event, even though their long-awaited encounter ultimately took place on the September 11 edition of WWE SmackDown.
The two stars, both central figures in WWE’s Divas-era-to-Women’s-Revolution transition, finally met again in singles competition in Mexico City, Mexico. Their confrontation had been fueled by online back-and-forth before becoming physical in the ring, where Bella escaped with a rollup victory after sidestepping Paige.
Speaking on The Nikki & Brie Show, Bella looked back on both the match and the level of attention it generated. While she was pleased with the reaction, Bella also acknowledged that she had entered the situation expecting the bout could take place on a bigger premium live event stage.
“We trended... ’til the next day,” Bella said. “I’m just going to put myself over real quick...but did you know I was the number one most searched female wrestler worldwide? I hit number two on the Twitter world timeline in Mexico, and then I was number nine in the U.S....Our numbers ended up being the most talked about from Friday night SmackDown...”
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Bella’s comments underline the value WWE found in pairing two performers with a substantial shared history, even without presenting a decisive finish or immediately settling the rivalry. The Mexico City audience received a rare matchup between two names who helped define a particularly turbulent and important period in the company’s women’s division.
For Bella, the response also appeared to validate the decision to make the match a featured television attraction. At the same time, she made clear that the original expectations surrounding the program were not necessarily limited to SmackDown.
“Even though we thought we were going to have this, like, PLE match, I came in super prepped for that,” Bella said. “I love storytelling, so let’s continue this...I’m all about the stories, so take it away...it’s great heat, right? It gets people talking now, like, ‘When’s it going to happen? What’s next?’ I love that stuff.”
A Long-Awaited Match With an Unfinished Feel
The September 11 meeting was significant on its own because of how long it had been since Bella and Paige last wrestled one another. Nearly 11 years had passed between their singles matches, making the bout more than a routine episode of weekly television. It was a chance to revisit a rivalry connected to a major chapter of WWE women’s wrestling.
Both Bella and Paige carried prominent roles during an era when the division was changing in visibility, presentation, and expectations. Bella’s reigns and main-event-level presence made her one of the most recognizable WWE women’s stars of her generation. Paige, meanwhile, arrived as a young standout whose ascent and in-ring identity became closely associated with the push for a more competitive women’s division.
That history gave their renewed conflict an immediate foundation. Their online exchanges built interest before the match, but the in-ring result was deliberately not presented as a crushing, definitive victory for either side. Bella’s win came via a rollup after she avoided Paige, a finish that allows the loser to argue that she was not beaten conclusively while still giving Bella a meaningful television victory.
That type of finish often serves a broader story rather than closing one. Bella’s own remarks strongly suggest she sees the match in that light. Rather than treating the bout as the final statement in the issue, she framed the ongoing questions as part of what makes professional wrestling compelling. The central question is no longer merely whether Bella and Paige can coexist after their exchanges. It is whether WWE will return to the matchup with higher stakes and a more decisive setting.
Mexico City Reaction Added to the Moment
Mexico City has long been a passionate wrestling market, and the September 11 SmackDown setting added a distinctive atmosphere to a match already built on nostalgia and unfinished business. Bella highlighted the social-media performance of the segment and match, saying she became the number one most searched female wrestler worldwide while also ranking highly in trending discussion in Mexico and the United States.
Those metrics are not a substitute for what happens in the ring, but they are meaningful in a modern WWE environment where television segments continue beyond the broadcast through online conversation. Bella’s claim that the program became the most discussed portion of that Friday’s SmackDown points to the immediate reach of the pairing.
The reaction also reflects why WWE can continue to draw interest from established stars with deep connections to prior eras. Bella and Paige do not need a lengthy introduction to viewers who watched their original rise. Their names, accomplishments, and past friction create a ready-made emotional context. For newer viewers, the match offered a meeting between two high-profile competitors whose reputations preceded the latest chapter.
Importantly, Bella did not characterize the strong reaction as a reason to rush through the story. Her focus was instead on allowing discussion and uncertainty to build. In her view, the questions created by the rollup result and the rivalry’s pause are useful. A future rematch, if WWE chooses to pursue one, would have a clear narrative hook: Paige can seek a more conclusive result, while Bella can argue that she already proved she can beat her.
Bella’s Championship Ambitions Take Priority
For now, however, Bella’s attention is not solely fixed on Paige. Her immediate target is Chelsea Green’s Interim WWE Women’s Championship.
On the most recent Friday edition of SmackDown, Bella made her position clear: she does not believe she needs to win a qualifying match to establish herself as worthy of becoming the number one contender. In Bella’s view, her veteran status and body of work already make the case.
That declaration places Bella in a potentially important position within the championship picture. A win over Paige provides momentum, but Bella is arguing for something more direct than momentum alone. She is presenting her experience, star power, and history in WWE as credentials that should move her to the front of the line for Green.
Whether WWE accepts that argument remains to be seen. Championship contention is frequently shaped by wins, formal qualifying matches, and the objections of other contenders. Bella’s insistence that she should not have to take that route could create friction with competitors who believe a number one contender spot must be earned through current results rather than legacy.
Green, meanwhile, holds an Interim WWE Women’s Championship that gives any challenger an obvious incentive to step forward. Bella’s comments on SmackDown made it clear that she intends to be part of that conversation, and her renewed visibility following the Paige match only strengthens the attention around her next move.
Two Stories Still Available to WWE
Bella’s current direction leaves WWE with two connected but distinct avenues. The first is the championship route, where she is openly campaigning for a match against Green. The second is the unresolved issue with Paige, which remains available whenever the company decides it is time to revisit it.
The two paths do not have to be mutually exclusive. A championship pursuit can raise Bella’s profile while Paige remains a looming rival who has reason to challenge the legitimacy of Bella’s victory. Conversely, another encounter with Paige could become a major obstacle in Bella’s effort to establish herself as the top challenger.
For Bella, that uncertainty is part of the appeal. She entered the September 11 match prepared for the possibility of a premium live event-level encounter, yet she has embraced the fact that the story has not been fully resolved on television. The result in Mexico City delivered a victory, significant online attention, and a reason for viewers to keep asking what comes next.
That is precisely where the Bella-Paige rivalry currently stands: paused, but not necessarily finished. Bella has made clear that she welcomes the conversation surrounding a future chapter. Before that chapter arrives, though, her stated goal is to leverage her status and recent momentum into a shot at Chelsea Green’s Interim WWE Women’s Championship.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.