The Bella Twins Reveal WWE Return Plans For Feud With The IIConics Earlier This Year

The Bella Twins, Brie and Nikki, released a new episode of The Bellas Podcast that centered around the news that Nikki Bella's health is forcing her to retire from in-ring competition.

The Bellas explained to listeners that prior to Nikki's doctor breaking the unfortunate news, they had a return to WWE planned for the SmackDown following WrestleMania 35.

"Brie and I, we were going to come back and fight for the [Women's] Tag Titles after WrestleMania," Nikki revealed. "We were going to go against The IIconics for a few months. It was going to be a lot of fun and we were really excited. Deep down inside I kept having this weird feeling that I needed to get an x-ray on my neck, because for a while, I wasn't feeling okay. Brie knows that in December, after Evolution, I just kept telling her, like, 'Brie, I feel off. My head doesn't feel right.' I even told her, 'Do you think I'm super unhealthy?' I live a very healthy lifestyle but I just couldn't figure it out."

"We had our gear, we had everything," Brie explained. "The SmackDown after WrestleMania; we had it all planned out. I mean, we were in New York thinking it was still happening."

Nikki's story begins earlier this Spring when her doctor discovered the severity of her neck and brain, and then shortly thereafter gave her the details. The news would put an immediate halt to the extensive plans that the women had made for their return.

"So I call my surgeon a week or a week and a half before WrestleMania, and I say, 'Look, between you and I, I need an MRI done. I just don't feel comfortable with what's going on with my neck if I go get in that ring...,' Nikki recalled. "I get my MRI's done, and literally the Thursday before WrestleMania, Dr. Rebay calls me and goes, 'You know what? We need to talk.' And it's crazy because when a doctor says something to you in a certain tone, you immediately go, 'Okay, this isn't good.'

"He was just like, 'Nikki, I want you to know that why you're feeling the way you do is because you have so much inflammation around the metal in your neck. And on top of that, you have herniated the disc above where you've had surgery. It's fully herniated. And on top of that, I've found a cyst on your brain. Now, by looking at it, I don't think it's anything we need to worry about right now but we need to check on this every year... You're done. I'm so sorry, but if you get back in that ring – you're either paralyzed or you're light's out for good. You can't mess with this anymore.'"

Nikki explained that the overwhelming disappointment she felt after the diagnosis is the primary reason that she was out of the spotlight during WrestleMania weekend. However, she did also admit that her breakup with John Cena may have had some influence on her absence.

"WrestleMania weekend, everyone was like, 'Nikki's so absent.' And I think everyone, of course, likes to write their fake articles about why I'm not around," Nikki said. "They always relay it back to my breakup, and it was hard being at WrestleMania around that and the breakup. But the reason why I was so distant was because I was just so excited for this run. We've wanted [Women's] Tag Titles since the beginning of time, we always wanted to work the IIconics, we wanted to work Sasha and Bayley... I was just so upset. Literally, this time now, I can't say, 'Oh, I'm gonna prove you wrong!' There's no more proving anyone wrong. I can never get back in that ring."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Bellas Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.