“Soccer was my life. For 11 years I played competitive ball, and I loved what I did,” Nikki Bella explains in this EXCLUSIVE preview of The Bella Twins episode of Biography: WWE Legends.
Before she became one of the most recognizable figures in the WWE, Nikki had “dreams of being on the women’s World Cup team.” Nikki had her heart set on a long career in soccer.
“I’m about to sign with Arizona State University, and I have all these other offers from all over the country,” Nikki continues. “I’m going to have a spot on the Arizona Heatwave playing in the women’s professional league. I’m making my way up to see that dream of being on the World Cup team one day. That’s how I see it, right?”
Unfortunately, a soccer career was not meant to be. During a third-place game with her high school team, Nikki collided with an opposing player. They hit “shin-to-shin” and Nikki’s shin “snaps right in half.”
The injury put an end to her future with soccer. “The break was just so bad it was like, ‘Sorry, we don’t know how you’re going to heal,'” Nikki reveals. “Scholarships are off the table. We couldn’t afford college. Everything that I worked for for 11 years straight, what was going to get me out of Arizona, out of my home, was just all gone. It was just like everything crumbled.”
This episode of Biography: WWE Legends, airing July 24, chronicles Brie and Nikki’s journey from waitresses to WWE Superstars and pop culture icons. Success in sports got the Bellas through a difficult childhood and helped them survive personal traumas. That competitive spirit led them to a groundbreaking career in wrestling, capturing the Divas Championship and satisfying their Bella Army with their hit reality shows. The Twins are still kicking ass as moms, entrepreneurs, and as WWE Hall of Famers.
Biography: WWE Legends season 2 premiered July 10. Legends featured this season also include The Undertaker, Goldberg, The Bella Twins, Lex Luger, Edge, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and D-Generation X. Biography: WWE Legends airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E Network.