WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella spoke with USA Today Sports about various topics, including her ankle injury and recovery process.
Bella said, “The ankle’s doing great. I was really fired up cuz this morning I got a squat for the first time. You know, not too heavy. looked a little bit like a baby deer. but last week I got to move up a level in my PT, where I got to start to focus on strengthening. So, working with my trainer and my PT, a lot of our focus is going in strengthening as well as building the ankle and, you know, all the little mechanics that come with the toes, the feet, the hips, the knees, you know, everything. I’ll get X-rayed the middle of June and see how the bones have grown. And so fingers crossed I’ll get amazing news and then just got to match that kind of news with strength and then I’ll be back.”
On if she has a target date for her return:
“You know, injuries are so funny. I always try to ask that, and like, not till 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 till June, you know, when you start to deal with doctors and stuff. So, I’m hoping, like 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, it’s because their strength isn’t matching. So, I need to make sure the calf, the quads, the glutes, I need to make sure they’re all built up so they protect that ankle.”
On if she would return in a non-wrestling role before she’s medically cleared:
“I mean, I guess you’re going to have to tune in to find out, but you could. Even though I kind of have this thing where I’m like I feel like when you have an injury like I did when it’s, you know, right before WrestleMania and then Paige comes in, and Brie and Paige win and they’re the tag champions, I feel like the moment of me returning has to be when I can be physical because it’s just we’re almost there and I feel like it just has more impact. But hey, again, you never know because maybe they need me to help them win. Who knows? You know, it’s wrestling. That’s the beauty of it.”
On Brie Bella and Paige not needing her to be there right now and focusing on her recovery:
“No, and you know what? I actually completely agree with you, and that’s how I’ve been taking it is they’re doing such an incredible job and they mesh well, Brie and Paige, that they don’t need me, and I don’t feel like I need to be there. And when you know when I’ve been picking different doctors’ brains and my PT, if a pro football player was to have my injury, he would take the six months because there’s no way they’re going to let him back on the field if his quad strength and his calf strength isn’t matching, you know, the healed bones. And I want to be that way, especially where I’m at in my life. It’s like I don’t want to get back in that ring half. I want to be not only 100% healed, but I want to be 100% like where I should be. Like when I go through strength testing, they’re like, “You’re 100%. Your glutes look great, your calves, your quads.” And so I think that’s what’s been amazing about how well Bri and Paige are doing is I don’t I don’t need to focus on rushing. I could just focus on being the best me so that I could come back and really, you know, create chaos.”
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
