5 Things you should know about the Bella Twins

Firstly, congratulations are in order for Nikki and Brie Bella, who will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania weekend. The news was announced during their appearance on 'A Moment Of Bliss' this past Friday, on SmackDown.

Despite having their share of critics, the Bellas' induction is certainly deserved, with lots of success both inside and outside of the ring. Along with their role in bridging the gap between the Divas' Era and Women's Evolution in WWE, Nikki and Brie transcended wrestling thanks to their reality shows, bringing more eyes to the product.

Nikki Bella holds the record as the longest-reigning Divas Champion as well, at over 300 days. She even made a miraculous return to the ring after career-threatening neck surgery, while Brie wrestled a few matches after having her first baby with Daniel Bryan.

The twins are pregnant at the same time right now, which means another in-ring return can assuredly be ruled out - at least in the foreseeable future.

Due to how public their lives are, there isn't a whole lot that we don't know about the Bellas. That being said, there are many interesting tidbits about both Nikki and Brie. Here are five things you should know about WWE's next female Hall of Famers - the Bella Twins.

#5 Nikki is older than Brie by 16 minutes

The Bella Twins were born in San Diego, California, with sixteen minutes separating their births. Nikki is the older twin by 16 minutes but looking at how the two of them interact on Total Divas and Total Bellas, you wouldn't know it.

Brie appears to be the more mature twin, acting as the older sibling and giving her sister advice. However, in reality, the 'Fearless One' is the big sister. It does not make much of a difference, aside from a slight contrast from expectations.

#4 Their stepfather is a familiar face in WWE

It is well known that Brie Bella is happily married to Daniel Bryan, while Nikki Bella was engaged with John Cena for a year. What you may not know is that they are also related to another WWE figure. The Bellas' mother, Kathy Colace, is married to John Laurinaitis. Yes, the People Power guy! The two were married in a private ceremony in March 2016, right before Brie's initial retirement.

Laurinaitis is a pretty recognizable face to the WWE Universe, particularly because of his on-screen role as the general manager of both, RAW and SmackDown in 2012. Funnily, he even defeated his once-to-be son-in-law, John Cena, in the middle of the ring.

Johnny Ace remains a senior producer in WWE to this day, after serving as the Vice President of Talent Relations for many years. In fact, he was the one who signed the Bellas to WWE in 2007. John Laurinaitis has been a recurring presence on the Total Bellas reality show, as Nikki and Brie's stepfather.

#3 They tried out for the WWE Diva Search in 2006

Like many future female stars in the WWE, the Bella Twins tried out for the WWE Diva Search back in 2006. However, they were not able to follow in the footsteps of past winners, Christy Hemme and Ashley Massaro. Neither twin made the final cut and thus did not appear on television, making their appearance here relatively lesser-known.

Nikki and Brie looked back at the contest from almost 14 years ago, including some unseen footage, for their YouTube channel. It seems like they were the least experienced out of all contestants in that year's Diva Search, pointing out how "bad they were" compared to the other contestants.

The Diva Search winner in 2006 was Layla El, who would go on to win multiple titles and have a solid run in WWE. Fun fact, Layla actually defeated Nikki Bella for the Divas Championship at Extreme Rules 2012. Future champion and reality TV star Maryse Ouellet finished 7th that year, we know how her paths crossed with both twins, at separate points.

#2 Their various business ventures

What an immense following the Bellas have.

They might not be able to step back in the ring anytime soon, but the Bella Twins are already busy enough with several other ventures. Nikki and Brie are entrepreneurs after building a very successful brand for themselves. This has certainly contributed to their Hall of Fame induction, with many new eyes gracing the WWE product thanks to the stars that the Bellas have become.

Their fan support grew thanks to a couple of reality shows, Total Divas and its successful spinoff, Total Bellas. From there, the twins' business profile has kept on getting bigger and more diverse. In 2017, Nikki and Brie launched their own wine label called Belle Radici in collaboration with Hill Family Estates and Gauge Branding, as well as Birdiebee, a lifestyle activewear brand.

Last year saw the Bellas launch a body and beauty line called Nicole + Brizee, to accompany their other projects. Nikki and Brie are also deep in the world of media, with their own YouTube channel and now, a podcast of their own. With well over 30 million followers combined on social media, the Bella Twins have truly created an entrepreneurial empire.

#1 Their history with football (soccer)

The Bellas have held the FIFA World Cup.

The Bella Twins are of Mexican and Italian descent, playing football in their youth for Sereno Golden Eagles FC. Nikki went further and carried on her footballing experience, getting a scholarship to play the sport in college. She played for Grossmont College, in San Diego, and led the team to victory in the Pacific Coast Conference. She even looked to further her chances at a successful career in football, by moving to Italy.

Brie intervened and convinced her sister to audition for the WWE along with her. It ended up being the perfect fit for both of them, after an accomplished career in the ring. However, that was not the Bella Twins' only involvement with football, as a modelling assignment may have brought back some memories for them, particularly Nikki.