Nikki Bella Calls Out Double Standard for Older Women In Wrestling

Nikki Bella is calling out what she sees as a clear double standard in wrestling—and she’s not sugarcoating it.

While speaking on The Flying Felon, Bella addressed the growing conversation around older wrestlers returning to the ring, especially women. According to her, the reaction isn’t the same across the board—and women are still being judged far more harshly than their male counterparts. She started by pointing directly at the contrast, making it clear that the criticism women receive doesn’t match how men are treated in the same situation.

“I mean, it’s funny because this has kind of started a debate online within the WWE Universe, and it’s like—they will give shit to women in their 40s or women who’ve retired and have come back. ‘Why are they back?’ All this.”

Bella then laid out the comparison that’s driving the conversation, pointing out how male wrestlers in the same age range are often still pushed at the top without the same backlash.

“But then we have all these males that are in their mid-to-late 40s who are either champions or who are wrestling every week. So why is it so different for women? How is this still even a discussion?”

She didn’t stop there. Bella also addressed where she believes some of that criticism comes from, suggesting that younger audiences may not fully understand what it takes to keep going at that level.

“You know, and it’s like it’s just so rooted in—and a lot of the time too, it’s younger people. They don’t understand. And one day they’re going to get to our decade and they’re going to go, ‘Whoa, those people were so badass.’”

From there, she shifted the focus to what it actually takes physically and mentally to compete at that stage of life—especially when facing younger opponents.

“Because it takes, I think, more courage and bravery to be our age now, to go out there and be physical in front of the world with people that are either half our age or 10 years younger or whatever it may be.”

Bella also made it clear that comebacks aren’t easy, even for experienced veterans—and that’s exactly why they should be respected more. She then brought up another key factor that often gets overlooked—how women’s bodies change, especially after motherhood, and why that should be part of the conversation.

“I mean, even for this comeback, it’s hard. But it’s like, why does it have to be so difficult for women? If anything, women—especially if you’re a mom—should be celebrated more, because we’re all learning more about the body now.”

And finally, she summed it up with the core message behind everything she’s saying: age shouldn’t be a reason to tear women down—it should be something worth recognizing: “But then to hit a certain age should be celebrated as well. Like, we should be talking about that more.”

Nikki Bella isn’t just speaking about her own experience. She’s calling out a bigger issue in wrestling culture, where women are still being judged differently despite doing the same job at the same level. And she’s not asking for special treatment—she’s asking for equal respect.

So do you think Nikki Bella is right about the double standard in wrestling, or is the criticism fair no matter the gender? Drop your thoughts below and let us know.

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