The WWE Hall of Fame got a slew of inductees in 2021, mainly because the class of 2020 was also inducted after the ceremony was postponed due to COVID. Nikki and Brie Bella, The Bella Twins, were part of the 2020 class that finally gave their induction speeches to wrestling fans worldwide. The two gave a speech, in which they thanked many who helped them along the way, including Nikki's ex fiancé, John Cena.
The thanks may have surprised some, considering the high-profile romance and breakup between Nikki Bella and Cena. Cena proposed to Bella in 2017 during WrestleMania 33 after a long-term relationship. A year later, the two announced their breakup to the public. Nikki Bella, who is engaged and has a child with Artem Chigvintsev, explained to ET why despite their breakup, she decided to thank her ex for his support:
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?' And 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, 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 may not be with John Cena, but that doesn't mean she can't appreciate the help he provided in her astonishing WWE career. The Bella Twins were among the top women in the brand throughout a solid portion of their run and spun off their wrestling career into two different television shows, Total Divas and Total Bellas.
Brie Bella, who is married and has two children with WWE superstar Daniel Bryan (whose contract recently expired), revealed she even reached out to John Cena at some point during the proceedings. Brie talked about how John helped her during her career and how he's helped others on the roster over the years:
I even texted John to thank him because you do, when you get inducted to the Hall of Fame, you want to start to reach out to people and thank them, because you're like, 'I got into the Hall of Fame because you're part of this big puzzle that got completed, you're one of the pieces.' The one thing that I always give John Cena credit for, he was the guy who sat in a chair, watched the monitor the whole time. When you came back from your match, he'd give you advice. He always cared about everyone's match and their work and how to help them improve. And I'll never forget that. And so, I told him all the time, and also I was their third wheel, it'd always be all three of us traveling all the time. So, I was like, the memories and how much you just always gave us great advice, I'll never forget that. It's why we're here.
John Cena did not attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as he was in Canada filming his Peacemaker series, which is set to air on HBO Max. Cena has also moved on since the two's relationship and married Shay Shariatzadeh back in October of 2020.
WWE's Monday Night Raw airs on USA Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Given the company's recent and surprising string of exits, now may be a good time for those who haven't followed the series in a while to tune back in and see what's to come for the brand.
