Nikki Bella and The Bella Twins hit a turning point after their SmackDown title match ends in disqualification
nikki bella is now at the center of a fast-moving WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship picture after The Bella Twins’ latest challenge ended in a disqualification on SmackDown, immediately reshaping what comes next for the returning Hall of Famers.
What Happens When Nikki Bella’s title chase collides with a three-team rivalry?
WWE framed The Bella Twins’ return as a direct pursuit of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, with Nikki and Brie set to challenge champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend on SmackDown at 8 ET. That pursuit has now turned into a wider confrontation involving Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss.
In their championship match, Nia Jax and Lash Legend defeated The Bella Twins to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championship by disqualification. The finish came after outside interference from Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, disrupting what had developed into a competitive title bout. Nikki locked in the Fearless Lock on Lash Legend in the middle of the ring and appeared close to a submission victory before the sequence on the outside triggered the disqualification that preserved the champions’ reign.
After the match, all three teams fought, with the champions finishing the segment standing tall. The situation did not end there: it was later made official that The Bella Twins will face Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss in a tag team bout on SmackDown next week, creating an immediate follow-up that functions as both payback and a new proving ground.
What If the two-year deal becomes the real clock on The Bella Twins’ WWE run?
Alongside the in-ring escalation, Nikki and Brie Bella have also placed a clear boundary on the broader arc of their return. On The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki said the duo signed a two-year deal starting at the Royal Rumble, adding that the discussions she and Brie have had point to that being the end of their run. Nikki described wanting closure and a “final bow, ” emphasizing that she wants the upcoming period to be memorable and free of “what-ifs. ”
Nikki also said she would like a retirement send-off like John Cena and AJ Styles received, while acknowledging she believes that is unlikely for her and Brie. That framing turns each major match into something more than a step in the standings; it becomes part of a defined, limited window where moments matter as much as outcomes.
The recent TV cadence has reinforced that sense of a controlled, storyline-driven build. After Nikki and Brie confronted the Women’s Tag Team Champions on WWE Raw, they were noticeably absent from television for a stretch. They then reappeared on SmackDown and cost Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss their championship opportunity, a development that fed directly into the disqualification finish in the title match and the newly announced match set for next week.
What Happens Next after disqualification: how the championship picture tightens
The disqualification result keeps the Women’s Tag Team Championship with Nia Jax and Lash Legend, while leaving The Bella Twins without the definitive win they were chasing. At the same time, it positions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss as an unavoidable factor—first by being cost a championship opportunity, then by interfering in the Bella Twins’ title match, and now by stepping into a scheduled tag match against Nikki and Brie next week.
Where the situation stands now, based strictly on what has been made official on-screen, can be summarized like this:
| Team | Status coming out of SmackDown | Immediate next step |
|---|---|---|
| Nia Jax & Lash Legend | Retained the Women’s Tag Team Championship by disqualification | Left standing tall after post-match brawl |
| The Bella Twins | Title challenge ended without a clean finish | Tag match vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss on SmackDown next week |
| Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss | Interference contributed to disqualification; involved across both title scenarios | Tag match vs. The Bella Twins on SmackDown next week |
The immediate question is whether next week’s match acts as a pressure-release valve—separating contenders and restoring order—or whether it deepens the collision course back toward the champions. Either way, nikki bella and Brie Bella have moved from “returning challengers” into a storyline that now requires resolution between three teams, not just one set of titleholders.
For El-Balad. com readers tracking what comes next, the clearest signal is this: the disqualification finish did not close the door on The Bella Twins’ championship pursuit. It widened the frame, added a new official match at 8 ET programming cadence, and put the next chapter directly in front of the audience one week later—right where the rivals can’t avoid each other.
