Nikki Bella Hated The Promo She Cut on Awesome Kong, Getting Hate From Wrestling Fans

On the latest episode of The Sessions, Nikki Bella spoke at length about the restrictions placed on the women wrestlers during the Divas era, writers coming up with nasty things for the women to say to one another, and learning to stand up for herself. Check out the highlights:

On hating a sexist promo she cut on Awesome Kong: “I remember when I had to cut a promo on [Awesome] Kong, before Brie and I had left for eleven months. And I just remember feeling like shit. I went with what they said on paper; it was so wrong. And I talked to Kia [Stevens / Kong] before, Kia and I even talked after. It just didn’t feel good, and I didn’t like it. I was like, I don’t want cheap pops from the crowd anymore. Especially if it’s not approved by the women.”

On no longer wanting to tear other women down in promos: “I could have said a lot more stuff on the mic to get these greater reactions; it was never worth it to me because we’re still telling stories, and that’s kind of how I left it the rest of my career. But then some of the stuff would be said to me on a hot mic, with not even realizing. I just remember being disappointed, like, okay, we just took five steps back. [We should have been] just tearing these barriers down, breaking them; which, we still shattered them. It just took even more work.”

On the enormous hate she receives from wrestling fans: “And I just have to live with this hate in this industry. It’s hard on me because I love, love wrestling. But I will just have to carry this cloud of hate with me. In the beginning it was hard, and then I was like, you know what? You can woman up, and you can make this something.”

On the origins of ‘Fearless Nikki’: “I remember one day looking at [unclear] and I go, ‘I’m going to war.’ I’m going to pack up, I’m going to suit up, I’m going to win this thing. I just got this fire, and that’s what really helped create Fearless Nikki. Whether it was filming a scene or just walking in to go to catering, I’m gonna just own the place, not be affected, and if I give myself this energy, this feeling, I’m gonna be unbothered. I’m gonna live rent-free in everyone’s head and I’m just gonna do my thing. It helped me conquer a lot. I just took that fire and rose up like a phoenix.”

On the restrictions and limitations placed on the Divas in the ring: “When we were in FCW, we were doing kick-ass matches. And when I came up on the road it was like, can’t do this, can’t do this, can’t do that. Just go out there, let them like throw you around, make sure you pull hair, slap that.”

On regret at not standing up for herself earlier: “And I listened! I listened at the time, and I should have fought for myself. I should have fought on everything I learned as an athlete, as a professional wrestler, and I should have went out there and showcased… and I didn’t. So when that fire came about, I was like, you know what? No one’s telling me no anymore. They don’t want to do my move that I just learned, or this sequence that I think looks really badass, they don’t want to treat me like I’m a powerful woman? Well then, get in line, I’ll fight someone else tonight. It created a whole different person that I wish I was, but I had to learn a lot. Even now, I take that into what I do now.”

If using any of the above quotations, please credit The Sessions h/t 411mania for the transcription.