DIVA LEGEND
How old is Nikki Bella, when did she break up with John Cena, who is she dating now and has she quit WWE?
NIKKI Bella is a two-time WWE Divas Champion who made headlines when John Cena asked for her hand in marriage at Wrestlemania 33.
But after announcing her retirement at the age of 35, we take a look back at her memorable career.
1
Who is Nikki Bella and her twin sister Brie?
Nikki, whose real name is Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, was born in San Diego, California, on November 21, 1983, making her 36 years old.
She was born sixteen minutes before her twin sister Brianna.
The pair spent most of their childhood being raised on a farm in Scottsdale, Arizona.
A keen athlete, Nikki played soccer at Grossmont College in San Diego.
After forging a career in modelling, Nikki and Brie failed to make the cut in the 2006 WWE Diva Search.
However, the pair were signed by WWE in 2007 and sent to developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling where they honed their in-ring skills.
The duo were then drafted to the Smackdown brand in August, 2008, where they worked as a tag team known as The Bella Twins.
Nikki has had two reigns as the WWE Divas Champion, with her second term of 301 days the longest in company history.
Brie, who is also a former WWE Divas Champion, married fellow wrestling star and former champion Daniel Bryan in 2014.
The couple welcomed a baby girl named Birdie on May 9, 2017.
Has Nikki Bella retired from WWE?
In March 2019, Nikki revealed she is "too old for the travel" as she called time on her career in the ring after 12 incredible years.
Bella followed in the footsteps of twin sister Brie - who also confirmed her retirement earlier in the same month.
Speaking about her decision, the 35-year-old said: "The [European] tour was good but I feel like I'm too old for the travel, the travel was really rough.
"I was like, why am I doing this? I don't feel good. The girls are doing amazing things over there.
"I really am ready to hang up the jersey, I can say it fully."
She added: "Being on the European tour, I've had a lot of time to think. Just how my body feels, being away from my company, how time consuming this is.
"It's making me realise I am ready to fold the jersey and put it away.
"I'm ready to put the kicks aside and I'm ready to take Nikki Bella into a different direction."
MORE WWE NEWS
When did Nikki split with John Cena and who is she dating now?
The couple became engaged on April 2, 2017, when Cena proposed to Nikki after their victory over The Miz and Maryse in a mixed match at WrestleMania 33.
In April 2018, Cena and fiancée Nikki Bella announced they had split less than three weeks before their wedding.
A statement was released on Nikki and Brie’s official Twitter account.
The statement read: "After much contemplation and six years of being together, Nikki Bella and John Cena announced today their decision to separate as a couple.
"While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another. We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives."
However, on June 17, 2018, on an episode of Total Bellas John vowed to undo his vasectomy in a bid to win Nikki back.
The 41-year-old promised her he will undergo reversal surgery so that the pair could have kids.
But on March 13, 2019, Nikki finally put paid to rumours she's getting back with John by going public with her new beau, former Strictly star Artem Chigvintsev.
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