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The fourth season of Total Bellas saw plenty of action and drama to go along. Season 4's theme was change and the season finale culminated in a profound evolution for both Nikki and Brie Bella.
From the get-go, Nikki Bella was left picking up the pieces of her disintegrated relationship with long-time fiance John Cena. Newly single, Nikki faced the challenges of returning to the dating game at 34 years old.
Brie Bella found herself walking a thin line between her career in professional wrestling and motherhood. For the first time in the hit reality series' history, both women contemplated retirement and even going their separate way.
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We unpack all that and more in Total Bellas: 4 Things We Learned From The Season 4 Finale.
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#4 Daniel Bryan Was Ready For A Heel Turn
Total Bellas season 4 finale focuses on Daniel Bryan's heel turn that inevitably led to him reclaiming the WWE Championship that he vacated in 2014. Bryan, the Leader of the Yes Movement, stood in stark contrast to WWE's corporate culture and was seen as the quintessential babyface. As fans cheered, "Yes! Yes! Yes" everywhere the WWE Superstar appeared, Bryan grew tired of a character stuck in neutral and was ready for a change.
With a shot to AJ Styles' nether-regions, Bryan shocked the world and became one of wrestling's most hated heels, but the change was a welcome one for Bryan,
"It's been a long time in WWE where I had this role of being a good guy. One of the things that really draws me to wrestling and why I yearned to get back to it is the creativity of it all. I've been doing the Yes! chant for so long, I've literally been salivating over the idea of doing something different."
Bryan summed it up best with the following,
"I love it when children boo. That's my favorite thing."
Bryan's change of heart may have disappointed some of his younger fans, but the new diabolical direction has been an overall positive experience. Bryan parlayed his new environmentally obsessed heel character to a WWE Championship run and a Survivor Series Champion vs Champion dream match against Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Four plus months later, Bryan is on course to enter WrestleMania 35 as WWE Champion.
#3 Nikki Bella Is Still Grieving John Cena
WWE Superstars Nikki Bella and John Cena were once wrestling's most recognizable power couple. After a very public six-year reality television fueled relationship, the two were engaged to be married, but shocked the world when they called off the most anticipated wrestling wedding since Macho Man and Elizabeth.
Total Divas and Total Bellas documented the relationship between the two, its highs and its lows. The E! series depicted the friction caused by Nikki Bella's desire to settle down and build a family and John Cena's initial reluctance to marry and have children. The rift between the two deepened and eventually their relationship paid the price.
While John Cena was nowhere to be seen on the fourth season of Total Bellas, Nikki Bella did her best to move on. She met up with her former Dancing With The Stars coach Artem Chigvintsev and even went on a date with The Bachelorette's Peter Kraus. While there were obvious sparks between Bella and Kraus (and a kiss too) ultimately Bella found herself unable to commit.
On last night's season 4 finale, Nikki told her sister Brie that she has just begun the grieving process over her failed relationship with Cena. Brie asked Nikki whether she would be okay, if Cena were to be seen with another woman. Nikki was blunt in her reply,
"No matter what, the next time I see him with someone, it's gonna kill me."
Bella admitted that she "still has a long way to go," but also added,
"Honestly, I'm ready for a new me. I need to start living, as if I don't care if it's my ex or anyone else watching me and afraid to hurt their feelings."
Season 4 ended with things looking up for Nikki Bella, as she hops on a motorcycle with Dancing With The Stars coach Artem Chigvintsev. The imagery is clear: while Bella may still be 'grieving' John Cena, she is committed to moving on, conquering her fears, hitting the open roads and finding the very best version of herself.
#2 Nikki Bella Is Done With Professional Wrestling
We all had a hunch that Brie Bella may soon be done with professional wrestling. Brie already has a child with husband Daniel Bryan and has teased more children recently, but Nikki Bella leaving the squared circle is at the very least somewhat shocking.
After all, Nikki's career was already threatened by a significant neck injury, but she worked intensely to get back to her profession and climbed all the way back to WWE's main event scene, even taking on RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey at the historic Evolution pay-per-view.
Brie Bella let her family know that she would be walking away from professional wrestling in the penultimate episode of Total Bellas. On a beach, in the presence of her closest relatives, Brie Bella announced that she was leaving the sport that gave birth to her celebrity and introduced her to the love of her life in Daniel Bryan. Nikki Bella seemed distraught by the announcement and no one expected what was to come next.
After Evolution, Brie Bella stepped away from the ring, but Nikki joined the WWE on their European tour adding to her already busy schedule. After returning home from the tour something didn't sit right with Bella,
"The tour was good, but I just feel like I'm too old for that travel. The travel was really really rough, so I realized - I was like, 'Why am I doing this anymore?' I don't feel good....I really am ready to hang up the jersey."
When Bella was asked if she was done, she replied simply, "Yeah." The move prompted a toast by Nikki Bella's sister and long-time tag team partner Brie Bella, who said that the two would be hanging up their boots together.
Nikki Bella offered more insight into her decision,
"Being on the European Tour, I had a lot of time to think. Just how my body feels, being away from my companies, how time consuming this is - it's making me realize I'm 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."
#1 The Bella Twins Go Their Separate Ways
Despite their individual successes, Nikki Bella and Brie Bella will always be known as The Bella Twins. Their professional wrestling career will forever be intertwined and the two future Hall of Famers are officially retired from professional wrestling.
The Total Bellas season 4 finale felt very much like a series finale and while that isn't yet confirmed, The Bella Twins ended up going their separate ways for the first time ever.
After appearing alongside her sister at WWE Evolution, Brie Bella confirmed that would be the last time The Bella Twins would ever be appearing in a ring together, as she would be retiring. Later, Nikki Bella confirmed her own retirement.
Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan also made a big move to Arizona to focus on their family. Nikki, meanwhile, made a move to Los Angeles putting more than 500 miles between the twins. Before the sisters made their move, the duo endured an emotional time packing.
As the Bellas packed up their San Diego home, the two went through some of their old gear. Brie packed the outfit she wore for Nikki's Evolution match against Rousey. Nikki packed an outfit she wore in her match against Natalya and another she donned at WrestleMania.
As the memories flooded, Brie told her sister, "All my decisions I make now are for her (Birdie). She's my entire thought process." Nikki added, "She should be."
Brie continued:
"It's crazy because for so long every decision we made for us. What was good for our career, what was easier for us. We were each other's first decision and you're not my first decision anymore."
As The Bella Twins went their separate ways for the first time ever, the sisters were visibly emotional. As Nikki walked away, she said, "I'll miss our morning coffees." Brie replied, "I'll miss our evening wine." Then they both confessed, "I love you." The two waved goodbye as both vehicles departed in opposite directions.
As Nikki Bella drove off, tears welled up in her eyes, "Here's to a new beginning alone."
