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Brie Bella Makes Surprise WWE Return During the Women's Royal Rumble Match

Brie Mode is back! WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella returned to the company Saturday afternoon at the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.
Rick Ucchino|
Brie Bella
Brie Bella | IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

Brie Mode has been activated.

WWE Hall of Famer and former Divas Champion Brie Bella stepped back into a WWE ring for the first time in four years when she entered the Women's Royal Rumble Match Saturday afternoon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Brie entered the match from the No. 29 position and received a great reaction from the crowd, including several loud 'Yes Chants as she delivered the Yes Kicks to Raquel Rodriguez. She took down several competitors in the match before getting to share a hug with her sister Nikki, who had entered the fray from the No. 25 position.

Twin magic was alive and well for a while, as Brie and Nikki eliminated Bayley and Lyra Valkyria simultaneously, but they were eliminated by Lash Legend a little while later.

Conversations about a Brie Bella return to WWE have reportedly been happening since Nikki Bella returned for an extended run with the company last year, but there was a belief among their family that her husband Bryan Danielson — and his affiliation with All Elite Wrestling — was blocking that from happening.

Whatever the issue was that kept Brie from making her comeback in 2025 is clearly no longer a problem. The question is whether or not she's back for a good time or a long time.

Could a Bella Twins reunion be in the works for WrestleMania 42?

Nikki and Brie Bella
Nikki and Brie Bella | IMAGO / Cover-Images

The Takedown on SI had the opportunity to speak with Brie's Hall of Fame sister last summer, and much like she has with other outlets, Nikki Bella expressed her desire to team with Brie once again before her current run with WWE comes to an end.

"I truly hope to be with Brie going after the tag titles and just having that opportunity to be tag team champions... I really wanna have that moment with her, and honestly, I wanna have that moment to go back and be a heel with her. Being a villain and causing chaos, doing what the Bella's do best."

The Bella Twins have not competed together since the October 8, 2018 edition of WWE Raw when they teamed with Ronda Rousey to defeat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag team match.

It was four months later that WWE commissioned the Women's Tag Team Championship, which means that arguably the most famous women's tag team in wrestling history has never had the opportunity to compete for those titles.

The Women's Tag Team Division is currently hotter than it's ever been with teams like Rhiyo, the Kabuki Warriors, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, the Judgment Day, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria competing for the tag team titles.

It's too early to tell if Brie's appearance on Saturday was just a one-off, or the start of something bigger, but it's possible the Bella Twins have just entered the conversation. 

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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