5 best Nikki Bella moments in WWE

Nikki Bella is one of the most recognized names of the modern era in WWE. Bella has become a household name through her time with the company, as well as her ventures outside of the ring.

Nikki is a reality television star, social media influencer and entrepreneur, and also recently became a mother to her son, Matteo, in June 2020. The Fearless One can just about do it all.

That being said, let's take a look at five of the best Nikki Bella moments in WWE.

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#5. Nikki Bella making her WWE debut in 2008

Nikki Bella, along with her twin sister Brie, made their WWE debut in the summer of 2008. Brie was the first of the duo to taste the in-ring action, but Nikki was immediately introduced at the same time.

The Bella's had a trick that Brie would switch with Nikki mid-match, unbeknownst to the referee, that it was different person. This was eventually dubbed 'Twin Magic' by WWE.

Nikki made her in-ring main roster debut during a special episode of SmackDown in Manchester, England. She teamed up with Brie to defeat Victoria and Natalya. At the time, she was still learning her craft at WWE development promotion Florida Championship Wrestling.

Prior to joining the WWE, Nikki and Brie at 22-years old opted to sign-up for WWE's Diva Search in 2006. Former WWE Women's and Divas Champion Layla El won the competition, but neither Bella made the cut.

Nikki revealed to Forbes that it was her twin sister who gave her the bug to want to become a wrestler.

“When Brie started showing me what the women were doing at WWE…That’s my calling! I get to be athletic, and I get to entertain, and be larger than life and be this character. And I get paid for it? It was like God came down and said, ‘This is it!’” Nikki Bella said (h/t Forbes)

The Bella Twins didn't give up on their quest after not making the cut on the WWE Diva Search. They begged producers to give them another chance, and eventually the WWE signed them both to developmental contracts.

For Nikki, this was just the beginning of her incredible journey to the top of WWE and to stardom. She was trained by Tom Pritchard and Natalya and had all the tools moving forward to make a name for herself.

#4. Nikki Bella main-evented the first all-women's pay-per-view Evolution

In October 2018, WWE produced its first-ever all-women's pay-per-view, which featured Nikki Bella in the main event. Nikki challenged 'The Baddest Woman on the Planet' Ronda Rousey for the RAW Women's Championship. It pitted one of the greatest female sports stars of all-time against WWE's own and most popular superstars of the modern era.

It was a history-making event, which finally gave the women of WWE their own spotlight to shine. Ronda Rousey made Nikki tap out, but the main-event was about much more than that. It finally provided a platform to show the world that women are equals and can do it just as well as the male wrestlers.

In an interview with Metro leading up to the event, Nikki spoke about Evolution:

"It’s been a beautiful, incredible road for women in our industry to get to this point. It’s so amazing that it’s finally happening. We’re getting a ton of storyline time on TV and it’s all because our audience demanded getting more women’s matches and more women’s storylines on TV." Nikki Bella said. (h/t 411 Mania)

The history-making match currently has 76million views on YouTube, and continues to inspire girls and women all over the world.

#3. Nikki Bella was WWE Diva of the Year in 2013 and 2015

When you talk about Nikki Bella's accolades in WWE, you can't ignore the fact the she is a two-time Diva of the Year. She won the award in 2013 with her sister, Brie, and then won it herself individually in 2015.

Nikki beat Naomi, Paige, Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair to take the award in 2015 during the WWE Slammy Awards. The award win came in the midst of the Women's Revolution, which began in 2015.

Nikki Bella gave a heartfelt speech while collecting her award on Monday Night RAW.

"I just first want to thank the WWE Universe and the Bella Army for voting me as your Diva of the Year. Let me tell you, it's been quite an amazing year, from being your longest-reigning Divas Champion in WWE history, to Total Divas being a hit-show on the E! Network. I want to dedicate this Slammy to all of the women of WWE. To every woman I have shared that ring with, to all the woman backstage in the production, all the way to the corporate office. To all the women at NXT, and most importantly to every woman and little girl that buys a ticket and sits in the audience and cheers us women on. Thank you so much!" Nikki Bella said.

As always, Nikki Bella inspires a generation of women and girls all over the world. They all collectively voted her the Diva of the Year and established her legacy even further.

#2. Nikki Bella being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with her sister Brie

After years of dedicating their lives to the WWE, Nikki Bella & Brie Bella were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2020. The iconic Bella Twins have created a lot of mainstream attention for the company over the years. Their achievements in and out of the ring were finally recognized and honored.

The Bella Twins thanked as many people as they could, but one person that stood out was John Cena. Nikki Bella dated John during her time with WWE, but she surprised the WWE Universe when she mentioned him during her speech.

Nikki Bella told Entertainment Tonight about her inclusion of John Cena in her speech:

"I didn’t think anything about it because when you’re in those moments at the Hall of Fame, you really look at your career and you’re like, ‘Who was there, who helped me along the way?' So much of the time people will talk about themselves, and for me, I look at my career and I know that wasn’t just because of me. It was Brie [Bella], it was the Bella army, it was the producers, all the people that believed in me, and John was a big part of that. He really helped me be that fearless side and showed me a part of that world that I never saw before. I think just because you have breakups or whatever it may be, doesn’t mean you can’t thank those people and just truly be so grateful for the help that they had." Nikki Bella said. (h/t ewrestling)

One of the most admiring things about Nikki is how humble she is when it comes to her career. She recognizes everyone who gave her a chance and helped her on her path to the top of WWE and entertainment. Nikki Bella undoubtedly deserves her Hall of Fame spot alongside her twin sister.

#1. Nikki Bella was the longest reigning Divas Champion in WWE history

Nikki Bella's greatest accolade in WWE is no doubt her 301-day reign as the Divas Champion. After defeating AJ Lee at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in 2014, Bella went on a record-breaking run. Nikki defeated opponents such as Paige and Naomi along the way.

Nikki Bella was the first Divas Champion to successfully defend and retain her title in Japan. Nikki faced Paige and Tamina in a Triple Threat Match at the Beast from the East event in Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

She faced all-comers but was successfully defeated at the Night of Champions pay-per-view in 2015. The Fearless One lost to main roster newcomer Charlotte Flair, tapping out to the Figure-8 Leg Lock. The Women's Revolution was in full swing and the winds were changing on the main roster.

One thing that can be said about Nikki's reign is that she once again brought some legitimacy to the championship. She made it mean something and really made it her own.