As it turns out, Nikki Bella is preparing for her first singles showdown since suffering a serious ankle setback. The circumstances surrounding her opponent Paige have further stated another layer to their SmackDown showdown in Mexico City.
Speaking on The Nikki and Brie Show, Bella was already celebrating ahead of the showdown and confidently predicted that she would come away with the victory. “We celebrate the wins before they happen, because you know your girl’s gonna win,” she articulated.
Brie Bella, who has spent much of this year teaming with Paige, encouraged her sister to take it easy on her partner. Nikki swiftly made it clear that wasn’t happening.
Friday’s showdown furthermore carries some personal significance for the Bella family. Nikki recalled that she and Brie were part of WWE’s previous televised broadcast in Mexico City roughly 15 years ago. “Isn’t it crazy to think the closing time we, as a company, WWE did a televised event in Mexico City — which was their first time ever, you and I were on it,” she conveyed.
Several members of Bella’s family are making the trip, including her father and members of his side of the family, together with their sister Alexia and brother Ezekiel. Adding to the story, nikki and Brie additionally plan to record their podcast from Mexico City.
The competitive tension with Paige became increasingly personal during their recent SmackDown in-ring promo exchange — something Bella said she fully embraced. “I’m all for what entertains a attendees, what helps make a crowd react, and I’ve always loved bringing something personal into it,” she said.
As per Bella, the direction wasn’t something that had been completely mapped out beforehand. Instead, she conveyed the crowd reaction during WWE’s stop in Canada helped shape what followed. “It all came up from what they were chanting in Canada. If they never chanted that, none of the stuff in the passionate speech would have ever happened,” Bella said. “So it’s just kind of falling into place that way.”
Bella also enjoyed experiencing the audience response in real time and then seeing the divided reaction continue online. “The live crowd just being there, because we shot that live, it was amazing to hear the reactions, and even the stuff I brought before,” she said. “And it is funny to see the reactions online. Highly torn.”
For Bella, that division only makes the competitive tension more compelling. “That’s, you know me, I’ll always feel that way,” Bella said. “It’s gonna make it really fun for what we’re gonna do the next day night.”
The history between Bella and Paige goes beyond their recent exchanges. Meanwhile, nikki suffered a fractured, torn and sprained ankle during the March 27 episode of SmackDown — rolling it during an exchange with Charlotte Flair in a tag team match against Flair and Alexa Bliss. Initially confirmed as a sprain, an MRI later brought to light the full extent of the damage — requiring surgery just two weeks before The showcase of the immortals 42.
Nikki and Brie had been scheduled to challenge for the WWE Women’s Pairing Strap in a four-way encounter involving champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend — Flair and Bliss, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. With Nikki sidelined, Paige returned to WWE and replaced her alongside Brie.
Paige and Brie went on to capture the titles and held them for 91 days before losing to Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley at Saturday Night’s Main Pay-per-view from Madison Square Garden.
Nikki later revealed that she inaugural met Paige during that period while she was in Birmingham for surgery — with Paige additionally in the city at the time. Bella shared there was nobody she would rather have seen take her The showcase of the immortals spot.
The opportunity was significant for Paige as well. Her previous WWE match had taken place in December 2017 before a neck injury wrapped up her inaugural run — meaning replacing Bella at WrestleMania ultimately facilitated her resurgence to the ring after more than eight years away.
Bella made her own reappearance on the July 24 episode of SmackDown, saving Brie and Paige from an attack by Fatal Influence and helping set up a six-woman two-person unit encounter at SummerSlam.
Friday’s match against Paige will now mark Nikki’s initial singles match since the ankle hurt and only her second singles contest since 2018. It's worth noting that her previous one came against Chelsea Green on Raw final year during the run that followed Bella’s surprise appearance in the 2025 Women’s The yearly battle royal pay-per-view. Eventually led to a program with Becky Lynch over the Women’s Intercontinental Title.