With new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions crowned at WrestleMania 42, plans for The Bella Twins before injury have emerged.
Brie Bella made her return at the Royal Rumble back in January 2026, with the Hall of Famer noting she was back “full-time“.
With The Bella Twins set for a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania 42, Nikki Bella would suffer an injury that would see Paige make her own return, going on to win the title with Brie.
Details have now emerged of why WWE brought Brie Bella back into the fold and how Paige played into the plans, via Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, who stated:
“I was told even as late as Tuesday that it was possible she would make it, but Paige was a good backup.
“The Bellas were going to win the match, that was always the plan when they brought Brie back, because Nikki had done her singles run…
“They figured Nikki’s under contract and everything, let’s bring Brie back and have the nostalgia of the Bellas winning the tag titles, which didn’t exist before. So that was the whole story of why Brie got brought back.”
Nikki Bella has revealed that she has suffered an ankle sprain, fracture and tear following the March 27 episode of WWE SmackDown, although it had been hoped she would be cleared in time for her match at WrestleMania 42.
The Nostalgia Factor In WWE
Over its long history, and particularly in recent decades, WWE has sought to strike a balance between new stars and former names, bringing back many past glories to drive the televised product forward.
The idea that Brie Bella was brought back for the nostalgia hit, and a championship run for a title that only came into being back in late 2018, certainly has an appeal, although the injury has clearly derailed that specific plan.
Adding Paige to the mix, a star that fans have long hoped would make a WWE return, is an interesting choice, adding a tag team championship to a main roster history that saw her hold the WWE Divas Championship, a title previously also held by The Bella Twins.
Nostalgia is something that WWE fans are very familiar with, the Hall of Fame proving that there’s still value in celebrating past times and, potentially, giving newer fans a new avenue into times past. This year’s ceremony saw the induction of Demolition, an ideal opportunity to look at the line that can be drawn from the career of Ax & Smash and their contemporaries in the current tag team scene, regardless of company.
The celebrating of history also gives fans a chance to speculate on dream matches, with WWE often playing into that concept. Sometimes, it materializes in the form of the likes of Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42. Other times, despite interest and anticipation, the dream remains unfilled, a la The Undertaker vs. Sting.
