Nikki and Brie Bella retire from WWE, want to replace stage name with real surname Garcia
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The Bella twins are retiring from the WWE. In addition to announcing their formal retirement from WWE, Nikki and Brie Bella also said they would be dropping the 'Bella' stage name and using their real last name 'Garcia.'
The twin sisters announced the decision on Tuesday, March 14. "Today we are officially from here on out, the Garcia Twins, Brie and Nikki Garcia," Nikki said on their podcast 'The Nikki & Brie Show' on SiriusXM.
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'We’re going to be 40 in November, we’re mothers'
“We’re going to be 40 in November, we’re mothers, we’re entrepreneurs, we’re executive producers, we’re starring now, we’re hosting shows,” Nikki said. She is older than Brie by 16 minutes. Brie has two children Birdie, 5, and Buddy, 2, with husband Bryan Danielson whom she wed in 2014. Nikki has a son Matteo, 2, with husband Artem Chigvintsev from 'Dancing With The Stars.'
Brie and Nikki initially joined WWE in 2007 and they made their ring debut in August 2008. They were released in 2012 and made a comeback in 2013. The year 2020 saw the twins' induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. Nikki and Brie appeared on the popular E! television program 'Total Divas' and its offshoot 'Total Bellas.'
“I just want to thank Brie Bella,” Brie said. She added, “The character, the name, all of it that I have been the last 16, 17 years… I am so excited to close that chapter on Brie Bella, put that book to the side and open up a new one and see what Brie Garcia’s going to do next.”
Nikki, on the other hand, said, “I’m so beyond grateful for Nikki Bella. She empowered me, she inspired me, she truly made me become fearless. And the road that she has paved, and what she’s done for women and the youth and will continue to do, just as Nikki Garcia.”
'We’re the Garcia twins'
The duo shared a video opening a huge door on Instagram. The caption wrote, "Hi I’m Nikki Garcia, Hi I’m Brie Garcia. And we’re the Garcia Twins. 👯♀️ Welcome to our next chapter! 🦋✨🤍✨🦄🤩🥳🫶🏼🫶🏼🍷🥂🍾"
"This next chapter of our lives is about taking it to the next level. Only who we are the unapologetically us and fearlessly walking from that door," the voice in the video narrates.
