WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella recently appeared on Cody Rhodes’ podcast, What Do You Wanna Talk About?, where the two reflected on a memorable—and heartbreaking—moment from WWE WrestleMania 29 in 2013. The conversation centered on a mixed tag match that was planned but ultimately scrapped just minutes before going live.
The nixed bout would have featured Brodus Clay, Tensai, Naomi, and Cameron taking on Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, and The Bella Twins. “Here you are, you have, literally, Total Divas being your show. Moving into Total Bellas, executive producing. This wonderful career that comes out of it,” Cody said.
He added, “The reason I’m asking about this photo (of us before our match got cut) is because the conspiracy was that the match was never supposed to happen in the first place… but I felt like we… weren’t thinking that.”
“I feel like it actually really did get cut…”
Nikki quickly shut down that conspiracy theory. “No. This is my thing, because I’ve heard this, a lot. I mean, then, it was kind of notorious that matches would get cut, right? So, I feel like it actually really did get cut,” she said.
She continued, “But, if they cut it for drama for TV, that actually pisses me off… I’ve had some walk of shames in college. That was the worst walk of shame I’ve ever done in my life.”
Cody echoed Nikki’s frustration and admitted the moment made a lasting impact on him professionally. “I knew you guys had been hit hard by it… There was one point — I’m not naming names — who is overly optimistic and like, ‘Alright! Well, we’ll do it at Raw!’ I was so angry… That’s the first moment where I was like, ‘I’m out.’ Out didn’t come till years later, but I thought, no, I’m out… Ah man, I can’t believe that match got cut in Gorilla.”
The Biggest Moment
Nikki concluded with a sentiment that resonated with many wrestlers who’ve faced similar situations: “You know what I mean? No one will ever understand it unless you’re us in that feeling… At that time, our biggest moment just taken right from us.”
The candid discussion provided fans with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most disappointing moments in both superstars’ early careers—and how it shaped their journeys moving forward.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more wrestling interviews and backstage stories.
