Nikki Bella Says Her SmackDown Ankle Injury Was the Worst Pain She Has Ever Felt

Nikki Bella has given the most detailed and raw account yet of what she endured during the March 27 SmackDown match that left her with a significant ankle injury — and the level of pain she describes is extraordinary. Speaking on the Angie Martinez IRL podcast alongside Brie Bella, Nikki revealed that the injury produced the worst pain of her career, surpassing even a broken neck she previously suffered.

“That was probably the worst pain I’ve ever felt, over a broken neck,” Nikki said. “Putting someone in a double suplex at that point — because I had no choice but to put weight on it.”

The injury occurred right at the beginning of the tag match and was immediately alarming. “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 — and just how it felt, I just knew something was wrong.” Despite that certainty, Nikki made the decision to push through rather than stop the match, knowing how much was riding on the segment for the WrestleMania 42 build.

“I knew this was starting the story to WrestleMania. 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. But I still had like 10-12 minutes to go, and I was like, ‘My goodness.'” The situation even became apparent to the performer she was working against. “Every time I would tag in, I was like, ‘No, it’s really broken, Brie. It’s broken’ — and the girl who we’re beating up is like, ‘Uh, put me in a hold?’ She’s like, ‘Wait, is her ankle broken?'”

Brie Bella Says She Became Nikki’s “Protector” During Her Divorce and Felt Her Sister’s Emotional Pain

The Bella Twins also discussed Nikki’s divorce from Artem Chigvintsev during the same podcast appearance, with both sisters speaking candidly about how they navigated one of the most difficult periods of their lives. Nikki described a period of intense personal discipline and spiritual focus that helped her find her footing during the darkest nights of the experience.

“I cut out sugar, alcohol, and I was mainly drinking bone broth. I have the nutrients in my body so high. If I weren’t hearing the word of God, I don’t want to hear anything. I went deep, and honestly, I had hard, hard nights and just like, ‘This is my life.’ And I loved all the weight I lost. I looked really good — never will get back there ever again. Life is a constant work. And I’ve been working on myself very strong for maybe the past eight years, where I realize that this is why we always have to do the work on ourselves, cause we get into moments like this and we know how to handle them,” Nikki said.

Brie offered an equally candid reflection on what the period cost her emotionally, describing how deeply she absorbed her sister’s pain through their twin connection. “That was hard. That was very hard on me. And it’s because I become the protector. I felt like I could — and that we go back to that twin thing — where I felt like I could feel a lot of what she was going through, the anxieties, the sadness, all this stuff. So I felt like it lays on me as well. And then I can be like a huge bh. I become that protector bh and then that takes a lot of energy to have to fight all the fights.”

As for the ankle, Nikki confirmed she is currently awaiting MRI results to determine the full extent of the damage. “As of now, it’s a sprained ankle. We don’t know if it’s a high sprain or something else.” She and Brie remain advertised for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way at WrestleMania 42 on April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, though her availability ultimately depends on what the MRI reveals and whether she can be medically cleared in time.