At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, Brie Bella made her much-awaited in-ring return, shortly after which she revealed the story behind her comeback and CEO Nick Khan’s role in it.
Recently appearing on Notsam Wrestling Live! (h/t Fightful) Bella opened up in detail about her return story while also addressing Khan’s contribution to it. Bella revealed that she kept hearing “no” about her chance to come back until Khan reached out to her regarding it.
“I’ve been wanting to come back. I would joke about it a lot, but yeah, I kept hearing no, and so when it came Thanksgiving time, I was like, ‘Alright, I’m not going back,’ and so, I kind of just started to look at 2026 differently,” she claimed. “I had a couple other opportunities that were put on the table, so I started to engage in those, and then Nick Khan all of a sudden called me, and I wasn’t expecting it, and just really wanted me back. I was very shocked, and I was like, ‘Alright….’ And I’m grateful to Nick for bringing me back because I definitely thought the door was closed, and I’m happy that it reopened.”
Nikki Bella also joined in and added, “I remember when I got my call from Nick. It’s so unexpected, and then you’re like, whoa, that’s life-changing.”
The twins have now announced their intentions of going after Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky’s Women’s Tag Team titles. However, while Bella returned at the 2026 Royal Rumble, interestingly, her last match before that was at the 2022 Royal Rumble. The sisters were also inducted into the 2020 WWE Hall of Fame.
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Shounak Chakrabarti
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
Shounak takes particular interest in soccer, closely following top clubs like Real Madrid and Arsenal. Beyond sports, he enjoys fiction writing, photography, gaming, and cinema.
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