What fans saw at WrestleMania 42 came remarkably close to not happening at all. Speaking on the Nikki & Brie Show, Brie Bella revealed that after Nikki was ruled out with her ankle injury, she seriously considered pulling out of the match entirely — because without her twin sister, the moment simply did not feel right.
“You know, Nikki and I were saying — because obviously there was a big part of me where I had really long talks with Bryan — where I was like, ‘I don’t know, I think I should pull out. I just think I should pull out,'” Brie said. She expressed the sentiment directly to Nikki as well. “The moment’s with us. And I kept saying that.”
What ultimately changed her mind was a combination of her husband Bryan Danielson’s counsel and the reality of how rare opportunities like this are at this stage of her career. “Bryan was like, ‘Go with your heart,’ but also he and I talked, and then we were kind of like, ‘But in our business, opportunity rarely comes.’ And especially at our ages, it is rare you get a phone call — ‘Hey, we want you back. We want you to do something really incredible.’ So when you say no to it, you’re almost a fool.”
Brie Bella’s Decision to Stay In the Match Led to One of WrestleMania 42’s Most Memorable Moments
The decision to stay proved transformative — not just for Brie personally but for WWE history. Paige stepping in as her partner produced one of the most emotionally resonant WrestleMania moments in recent memory, with the two winning the Women’s Tag Team Championships and delivering a night that Brie will carry with her for the rest of her career. The Bellas are expected to retire when their WWE contracts expire in early 2028.
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