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Nikki Bella Returns on WWE SmackDown to Set Up SummerSlam Match

The Bella Twins are back together and are ready to compete at SummerSlam next weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Rick Ucchino|
Nikki Bella
Nikki Bella | WWE

Nikki Bella is back in action, and she'll wrestle her return match at WWE SummerSlam next weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The WWE Hall of Famer fractured, tore and sprained her ankle ahead of WrestleMania 42 and was forced to miss out on an opportunity to win the Women's Tag Team Titles with her sister. Enter Paige, who made her triumphant return to the company that weekend in Las Vegas and won the gold alongside Brie Bella in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match.

This brand new team named Scream Mode held the women's tag titles for 91 days until they were robbed earlier this month at Saturday Night's Main Event. Some outside interference from Jacy Jayne allowed Fatal Influence to knock off Brie and Paige inside Madison Square Garden.

Brie would get a measure of revenge Friday night on SmackDown when she beat Lainey Reid in a singles match, but after the match, Fatal Influence would attack. What they didn't know was that a healthy Nikki Bella was waiting backstage and ready to even the odds.

Nikki rushed down to the ramp and helped clear out the ring by dropping Jacy Jayne with a Rack Attack 2.0. She then grabbed a microphone and issued a challenge for a six-woman tag team match at the 'Biggest Party of the Summer.'

It was the second addition to the SummerSlam card that was made during SmackDown. With Nick Aldis having to temporarily give up his office role until after his match with Gunther, acting General Manager Adam Pearce offered Sami Zayn an opportunity to compete inside U.S. Bank Stadium. He'll face the winner of a Fatal 4-Way in a WWE Championship No. 1 Contender's Match.

Chelsea Green also defeated Kiana James to qualify for the Five-Way Ladder Match to crown an Interim WWE Women's Champion, while Charlotte Flair advanced past Nia Jax via a disqualification victory.

WWE SummerSlam card (Announced):

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins | WWE
  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship
  • CM Punk (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship
  • Liv Morgan (c) vs. IYO SKY for the Women's World Championship
  • Five-Way Ladder Match to crown the Interim WWE Women's Champion: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green vs. Charlotte Flair vs. TBD
  • Sami Zayn vs. TBD in a WWE Championship No. 1 Contender's Match
  • Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar III inside Hell in a Cell
  • Penta (c) vs. Chad Gable for the Men's Intercontinental Championship
  • Gunther vs. Nick Aldis
  • LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys vs. Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso
  • Jacy Jayne & WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid vs. The Bella Twins & Paige
  • AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio vs. Danhausen
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Published | Modified
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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