Brie Bella nearly didn’t compete at WrestleMania 42 — and it had everything to do with Nikki Bella’s injury.
After Nikki Bella suffered an ankle injury before the Women’s Tag Team Title match, WWE brought in Paige as a last-minute replacement — a move that led to a huge return and a title win. But behind the scenes, Brie wasn’t even sure she wanted to go through with it.
Speaking on the Nikki & Brie Show on April 21, 2026, Brie revealed that once Nikki was ruled out, she seriously considered pulling out of the match altogether because the moment didn’t feel right without her sister. Before explaining why she ultimately stayed, Brie admitted that her first instinct was to walk away from the opportunity, even after everything was already set in motion.
“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.’”
That hesitation wasn’t just internal — it was something she openly expressed to Nikki Bella as well, making it clear how strongly she felt about not wanting to go out there alone.
“Right. And because it’s not—the moment’s with us. Yeah. And I kept saying that…”
The conversation then shifted to what ultimately changed her mind. Brie explained that after talking things through — including discussions with her husband Bryan Danielson — she realized how rare opportunities like this are, especially at this stage of her career.
“…and Bryan was like, ‘You know, go with your heart,’ but also, you know, he and I talked, and then we were kind of like, ‘But in our business, opportunity rarely comes,’ right?”
Brie Bella made it clear that the decision came down to not wanting to pass up a moment that might never come again, even if it wasn’t the exact scenario she originally envisioned.
“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,’ right? So when you say no to it, you’re almost a fool, right?”
So, what fans saw at WrestleMania 42 almost didn’t happen the way it did. Between Nikki Bella’s injury and Brie Bella nearly pulling out, the match was close to looking very different before Paige stepped in and turned it into a title-winning moment.
Do you think Brie Bella made the right call staying in the match without Nikki, or should she have walked away from WrestleMania 42 altogether? Let us know your thoughts.
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