Nikki Bella smiles at the camera during the FOX 2016 Upfront event in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Ben Gabbe)
Former WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella has been out of action due to a neck injury since October 2015. According to the latest rumors, Bella is set to return to action at the end of July and she is in need of a new finisher.
The 32-year-old became the longest-reigning Divas champion in history when she surpassed the record held by AJ Lee on September 14, 2015. She then lost the title to Charlotte at "Night of Champions" to end her reign at 301 days.
After failing to recapture the Divas championship at "Hell in a Cell" in October, Bella went on a hiatus because of a lingering neck injury. She underwent neck fusion surgery and she was ruled out indefinitely. She returned to television to accept the Slammy Award for Diva of the Year.
In her absence, Brie Bella teamed up with Alicia Fox and it eventually led to a 10-woman tag team match at WrestleMania 32. Team Brie won the match and Nikki came out with a neck brace to celebrate with her twin sister.
According to Daily Wrestling News, Nikki is very hopeful for a return at the end of July. Neck fusion surgeries often take a long time to recover and in her case, it was a potentially career-ending injury. She has been working tirelessly during her rehabilitation which makes her in-ring return possible.
The WWE will have a superstar draft for the brand extension on mid-July and it is unknown whether or not Nikki is going to be part of it. However, it should be noted that she is dating John Cena and she will likely end up on the same brand as his longtime boyfriend.
As for her finisher, Nikki asked her Twitter followers to give her some ideas on what will be her new finisher. She retired the "Rack Attack" because that moved was mainly responsible for the neck injury. It caused her neck to compress due to the weight of her opponent.
As of now no. It has to be retired. Freaking sucks. Anyone have ideas for finishers? #AmericanGrit https://t.co/2A1IlG6hbe
— Nikki & Brie (@BellaTwins) June 10, 2016
According to Vavel, Nikki's new finishing move can be her forearm smash that looks really painful on television. It is a simple move but she makes it convincing enough that it can be her new finisher. Another move she can do is the TKO neckbreaker that will still show her power as a woman.
Check out the video below for Nikki's top wrestling moves.
