Nikki Bella Reveals AEW Star Has Been Her Coach Ahead Of WWE In-Ring Return At SummerSlam

WWE/AEW

Nikki Bella has revealed that a member of the AEW roster has been working as her coach heading into her in-ring return at WWE SummerSlam 2026.

The Friday, July 24 episode of SmackDown saw Nikki Bella make her first appearance on WWE programming since WrestleMania 42, when she helped sister Brie Bella and Paige fend off Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid.

With a six-woman tag team match now set for SummerSlam between the two sides, Nikki has revealed that AEW’s Aaron Solo has been working as her coach as she prepares to make her comeback after undergoing ankle surgery in the Spring.

Speaking on The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki revealed that Solo helped work with Brie Bella and her husband Bryan Danielson ahead of Brie’s comeback to the ring at the 2026 Royal Rumble, which led to her connecting with him for her own return.

Nikki said:

“So Brie has her coach who’s Bryan (Danielson). So my coach has been Aaron Solo. Aaron is amazing. When Brie was coming back, Aaron worked a lot with Bryan and Brie because he’s over in San Francisco he’s been coming and coaching me and training me.

“So I just got done with him and it felt so good… This was my fourth practice with Aaron and I’m going to make sure we get two more big practices in before SummerSlam.”

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Nikki Bella Says This WWE Comeback “Feels Different”

With Nikki Bella’s ankle injury leading to her missing WrestleMania 42 and the opportunity to finally win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles with her sister Brie for the first time, it’s no surprise to hear how driven the Hall of Famer is in regards to her comeback to the ring at SummerSlam.

Discussing her return on SmackDown, which saw her showcase an edgier attitude – and make comments that even ruffled some feathers among the internet wrestling community – Nikki explained how this WWE return “feels different” to her others in the past.

Nikki said:

“Let me tell you about this comeback now. Everything just feels different. The preparation, the mindset, the confidence.

“You know what it is? Remembering who the f I am. No, no, no, you’re that bad b**ch Nikki Bella and no more being like nice and yay I’m excited to be here. You’re going to remember who you are and that’s who’s showing up.”

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• AEW
• wwe
• SummerSlam
• Nikki Bella
• Aaron Solo

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