Nikki and Brie say the decision left their match without enough buildup
Summary
– Nikki and Brie Bella say WWE removed material filmed for their SummerSlam storyline
– The sisters were told the package would be shared online, but could not find it
– Nikki believes the limited buildup made following GUNTHER and Nick Aldis even more difficult
The Bella Twins say their SummerSlam match was supposed to receive more buildup before WWE removed material they had filmed only days before the event.
Speaking on The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki and Brie Bella discussed their six-woman tag team match alongside Paige against Fatal Influence at SummerSlam. Brie revealed that WWE cut their material on the Friday before the premium live event.
“Even though our stuff got cut on the Friday before, which, you know…” Brie said.
Nikki completed her sister’s thought by admitting they were disappointed with the decision.
“Whatever, which we were bummed about,” Nikki said.
Their frustration continued after they were reportedly told that the video package would still be released through WWE’s social media accounts. Nikki said she searched for the footage but never found it.
“Where did our package go, by the way?” Nikki asked. “They said they posted it socially. I never saw it on social media.”
Brie said she never saw the package either and questioned whether WWE released it at all.
The missing material left the Bella Twins, Paige, and Fatal Influence with limited television time to establish their SummerSlam rivalry. According to Nikki, they had only one show in Oakland to tell the story before the match.
Their position on the SummerSlam card compounded the difficult buildup. The six-woman tag team match followed GUNTHER’s emotional battle against Nick Aldis, which had the crowd strongly supporting Aldis.
Nikki admitted she briefly believed Aldis might force GUNTHER to submit. When GUNTHER survived and defeated him, the audience remained emotionally invested in the result as the women prepared to enter the ring.
“I felt like in that moment, the crowd wanted Nick so bad,” Nikki said.
The atmosphere reminded her of another challenging position from earlier in her career. At WrestleMania 30, Nikki competed in the Divas Championship Invitational immediately after The Undertaker’s undefeated streak ended against Brock Lesnar.
Although she acknowledged that the SummerSlam crowd was not as devastated as the WrestleMania audience, Nikki felt the Bella Twins had once again been placed in a difficult position following a highly emotional match.
She does not believe, however, that their placement on the card was the primary problem. From Nikki’s perspective, the lack of television buildup and the removal of their video package made it considerably harder to connect with the audience.
“We had no package going into SummerSlam,” Nikki said. “We had nothing Friday night. We literally had one show in Oakland to tell a story.”
Despite those difficulties, the match produced one of SummerSlam’s biggest storyline developments.
Fatal Influence defeated Paige and the Bella Twins after Jacy Jayne pinned Paige. Following the loss, Nikki and Brie attacked their partner, completing a heel turn.
Nikki told Paige that nobody would take her spot, linking the betrayal to Paige replacing her after an injury prevented Nikki from competing at WrestleMania 42.
The attack ensured that fans were talking about the Bella Twins after SummerSlam, but the sisters believe viewers received only part of the intended story.
Their comments suggest WWE had prepared additional material to strengthen the rivalry, only to remove it shortly before the event. Whatever the package contained, Nikki and Brie believe its absence left the match without the buildup it needed heading into one of WWE’s biggest shows.
