Nikki Bella Hopeful For WWE Return In June After Ankle Injury

Published: 26 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 31 seconds ago by Dave Adamson

Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.

Nikki Bella Hopeful For WWE Return In June After Ankle Injury

Nikki Bella is on the road to a WWE return following an ankle injury, sharing the possibility of a return in June.

During the March 27 match that saw The Bella Twins defeat Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair on SmackDown, Nikki Bella picked up an ankle injury that would see her sidelined.

Speaking to USA Today, Nikki Bella has shared an update on her injury, revealing that she will know more after having her ankle checked on in June.

She said:

“(The medical team says) ‘not until I see what your ankle looks like in June,’ and I’m like, ‘But if you were to just guess,’ and they’re like, ‘Don’t know, not until June’.”

Bella would share a hope that a June return could happen, although she conceded that she wants to be sure that she is in the right physical condition, after her injury, to do so, stating:

“I’m hoping, for me in my head, end of June would be incredible, but I also don’t want to go back too early, because you know the big part about when people get reinjured is because their strength isn’t matching, so I need to make sure the calves, the quads, glutes, I need to make sure they’re all built up.”

Unable to compete at WrestleMania 42, Nikki Bella would celebrate Brie & Paige become WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with their victory in the Fatal Four-Way match that saw The Irresistible Forces lose the titles in a match that also featured Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, and Lyra Valkyria & Bayley.

Paige recently stated that both the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions are missing Nikki Bella.

A possible return at the end of next month could line up with WWE Night of Champions, which takes place on June 27 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Caution Is The Way Forward

For all of the forthright attitude in professional wrestling, there’s something to be said for taking a more cautious approach, particularly when it comes to injury.

WWE stars benefit from a comprehensive medical approach that has seen stars placed in “concussion protocol” when bumping heads, with Talla Tonga being an example of one such talent who was absent while the assessments were made.

For other injuries, backstage medical personnel are regularly seen treating stars for the cuts and bruises, while Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, has previously treated stars as they work on recovery from helped stars on their rehabilitation journey through injuries that may have required surgery.

It’s clear that, for many stars, regardless of the company they are in, a return to the ring is among their priorities. and past generations may have seen a point where they could make their comeback far earlier than, perhaps, they should have. As Nikki Bella points out, stars get reinjured because their “strength isn’t matching”.

While an eagerness to return makes sense, working with the medical professionals who have their best interest at heart is a much better strategy, however frustrating it may be, compared to stepping back between the ropes too soon and suffering another injury.