Nikki Bella heard a very familiar name from the crowd during the SmackDown tapings, and she definitely wasn’t going to give fans the reaction they were looking for. Even with Paige sitting on her shoulders, Nikki kept her cool and played the whole thing off with a smile.
Footage making the rounds online from the August 24 tapings shows the moment happening during Bella’s attack on Paige. Nikki had Paige up on her shoulders when she heard something from fans and turned toward the crowd. The fans in attendance immediately started chanting John Cena’s name.
Nikki: “What?”
Fan: “John Cena!”
Nikki: “Yeah.”
That was it. Nikki smiled, turned her attention right back to Paige and proceeded to drop her with the Rack Attack 2.0. The Cena chant came during an already surprising appearance from Bella. After Paige lost to Jacy Jayne during the taping for the August 28 episode of SmackDown, Nikki came out and attacked her rather than simply making a cameo.
Cena and Bella’s history obviously explains why the fan tried to get a reaction. The two were together from 2012 until 2018, with their relationship becoming one of WWE’s most public romances during that period.
Cena famously proposed to Bella inside the ring at WrestleMania 33 following their mixed tag team match against The Miz and Maryse. They ultimately called off their engagement and separated the following year.
There doesn’t appear to be much drama between them these days. Bella previously revealed that things are comfortable when they cross paths backstage and said she respects Cena, his wife and their relationship.
That probably explains why yelling Cena’s name didn’t exactly throw Nikki off her game. One smile and a casual “Yeah” was all the fan got before she went right back to taking care of Paige.
What do you make of Nikki Bella’s reaction to the John Cena chants during SmackDown? Let us know in the comments.
