What is Nikki Bella‘s Real Name?

The woman wrestling fans know as Nikki Bella was born Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace on November 21, 1983 in San Diego, California. She is now best recognized by her ring name Nikki Bella, under which she gained fame as a professional wrestler, actress, and reality television star.

Early Life and Family Background

Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace was born to parents Jon Garcia and Kathy Colace in San Diego. She has Mexican and Italian ancestry from her parents. Stephanie has an identical twin sister, Brianna, who is better known as the wrestler Brie Bella. She also has a younger brother named JJ Garcia.

The Bella twins were raised primarily in Scottsdale, Arizona after moving there at age 11. They attended Chaparral High School, where both sisters played soccer. However, Stephanie endured numerous injuries that ultimately ended her soccer career. After graduating high school in 2002, Stephanie went on to study at Grossmont College but dropped out to pursue a career in modeling, acting, and eventually professional wrestling.

Beginning a Wrestling Career

Stephanie took an interest in wrestling at an early age by watching WWE (then WWF) with her sister Brianna. They considered the female wrestlers like Trish Stratus and Lita as role models.

In 2006, Stephanie and Brianna both moved to San Diego to try out for the 2006 WWE Diva Search, though neither twin made the cut. Afterwards, they auditioned for roles as WWE wrestlers again and signed developmental contracts.

The Bella twins were assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE‘s former developmental territory, in June 2007. They made their FCW debut that September under the collective ring name The Bella Twins.

Just over a year after signing with WWE, Stephanie and her sister were called up to the main roster. The Bella Twins officially debuted on the August 29, 2008 episode of SmackDown.

WWE Career Highlights

Over the next decade, The Bella Twins competed in high-profile matches and storylines as part of the WWE Divas division. They feuded with other popular female wrestlers like AJ Lee, Paige, Naomi, and Natalya as the division transitioned into the "Women‘s Evolution."

Some key highlights and stats from Nikki Bella‘s WWE career:

• 2x WWE Divas Champion with reigns of 301 and 8 days
• Held the Divas title for a record 301 days
• 1x WWE Women‘s Tag Team Champion with Brie Bella
• Main evented Raw in 2012 and 2014
• Competed at WrestleMania from 2012-2018
• Last match at WWE Evolution (2018)
• Officially retired from WWE in 2019

Known as the more outgoing twin, Nikki leaned into a "fearless" persona during her WWE career. She often played the "heel" (bad guy) opposite Brie‘s "face" (good guy) character. Her finishing moves included the Rack Attack and Fearless Lock submissions.

After bouncing back from a career-threatening neck injury in 2015, Nikki went on to become the longest-reigning Divas Champion at 301 days. This cemented her legacy as one of the most prominent female figures in WWE‘s "Divas Era."

Transition to TV, Film, and Other Business Ventures

While wrestling for WWE, The Bella Twins also began branching out to reality television. In 2012, they appeared as cast members for the first season of E!‘s Total Divas docuseries, which provided a behind-the-scenes look at WWE‘s female talent.

Nikki was part of the Total Divas main cast for a successful seven seasons until the show ended in 2019. During this time, she and Brie also starred in their own WWE-based reality show Total Bellas from 2016 to 2021.

Nikki expanded into acting as well, appearing in shows like Meet My Folks and Ridiculousness along with small film roles. Her most prominent part came as Ava Tarrtino in The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown (2015).

Other business ventures Nikki has pursued over the years include:

• A wine label, Belle Radici, launched in collaboration with her mother Kathy Colace and twin sister Brie
• A Birdiebee activewear clothing line co-founded with Brie
• A podcast, The Bellas Podcast, that she hosts with Brie
• A YouTube channel started in 2018 that now has over 1.5 million subscribers
• Authoring an autobiography, Incomparable, with Brie which was released in 2020

Nikki also continues to partner with various brands as an influencer and model. She remains active on Instagram with over 9 million followers.

Relationships and Family Life

Nikki dated fellow WWE wrestler John Cena from 2012 to 2018. Their high-profile relationship was heavily featured on Total Divas and Total Bellas, including Cena‘s proposal to Nikki at WrestleMania 33. However, the couple called off their engagement and wedding plans in 2018.

In 2019, Nikki confirmed she was dating her former Dancing With the Stars partner Artem Chigvintsev. The two had met when paired together on season 25 of the dance competition show in 2017. Nikki gave birth to their son, Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev, in July 2020. In January 2022, she and Artem announced their engagement.

Nikki remains extremely close with her twin sister Brie. They continue to collaborate on business projects while raising children together.

Net Worth and Income

According to multiple reports, Nikki Bella has an estimated net worth of around $6 million as of 2022. In their heyday with WWE, Nikki and Brie were believed to earn $325,000 per year each. Nikki likely made up to $150,000 per episode during her Total Divas days.

Between reality TV income, WWE salaries, YouTube revenue, endorsements, and other projects, Nikki has built substantial wealth and become one of the most popular female personalities to come from WWE. With her wrestling days behind her, Nikki has proven adept at monetizing her fame through various entertainment and business ventures.

The Evolution of Nikki Bella

In the span of just over a decade, Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace has evolved from a relative unknown pursuing WWE dreams alongside her twin sister to become one of the most recognized women in sports entertainment. She served as a pillar of WWE‘s women‘s wrestling revolution and successfully parlayed that into stardom off-screen as well.

While “Nikki Bella” started out as merely a wrestling persona, the character has become synonymous with Stephanie‘s own name and personal brand. By leaning into her strengths and overcoming setbacks, Nikki demonstrated the power of determination and fearlessness that endeared her to millions of fans. Even in retirement, her popularity and influence continue to thrive.