Nikki Bella has shared the timeline she has in mind for bringing her in ring career to a close, revealing that she hopes to wrap things up by the end of 2027.

The WWE Hall of Famer recently made her return to television after months away with a serious ankle injury that kept her out of action following WrestleMania 42. Nikki returned on the July 24 edition of SmackDown, coming to the aid of her sister Brie Bella and Paige after they were attacked by Fatal Influence. The confrontation ended with Nikki issuing a challenge for a six woman tag team match at SummerSlam, which WWE later confirmed for Night 1 of the event.

Nikki Bella wants to end her career on her own terms

Speaking on the latest episode of The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki admitted she can see the finish line approaching and wants to make sure she leaves wrestling without any regrets. She explained that she intends to use the remainder of her career to continue elevating women's wrestling while also helping the next generation.

“You know, I’m coming close to the end. Like, and I know I’ve talked about this, but I am like, and I’m very great with that. Like, you know, year and a half, like whatever it is, the end of 2027, and I really just want to finish this out exactly how I want it. I want, you know, if I gotta break rules, I’m gonna break rules. But I want to end it how I see it, so I don’t look back and go, ‘What if?’” Nikki Bella said.

“Like creatively, if I feel a certain way, I want to do it. I don’t want to like sit there and go, oh, but follow the rules and be a good girl. Like I want to challenge myself. I want to fight for myself. I want to stick up for what I believe in,” Bella said.

“And I want to continue to be a part of great changes for women’s wrestling, and constantly making women’s wrestling feel important and special. And while I’m doing great things, bringing other people up with me to do great things.”

“I don’t just speak the talk of empowering women. I truly love to empower women, and it’s such a great group right now. And whatever I can give while also being a bad bitch, I’m all game,” Nikki Bella said.

Brie Bella details the severity of Nikki's injury

Brie Bella also discussed just how serious Nikki's ankle injury was, revealing that her sister unknowingly wrestled through multiple injuries before later undergoing surgery.

“You broke your ankle wrestling in the ring, continued on for eight minutes with a broken ankle, then went to New York from Pittsburgh to do a run-in, knowing it was taped up, and you in your heart knew, and in your gut it’s broken, but hoping maybe it was a sprain or something. No, then you end up going, realizing not only did you break your ankle, you tore ligaments, and you had a high sprain. You did three things,” Brie Bella said.

“He (the surgeon) goes, ‘I had to go watch that match back 20 times because I don’t know how she kept wrestling with everything she did to her ankle.’ He literally said he had to watch the match 20 times. This is a high level surgeon who works on pro baseball players, pro football players, like you name it.”

Nikki Bella reflects on emotional recovery

Nikki also opened up about the mental and physical challenges she faced during rehabilitation, admitting there were many difficult moments before she regained the confidence that defined her career.

“I remember in the beginning when I was healing, how many times I would cry in the day of being in pain and being like, ‘Dude, this is gonna be really hard.’ Like I just I knew it, and I would at times I get so frustrated and be like, ‘Why me?’ Like the times when I had to be on my back for like two weeks, I just was like this. I tried not to go down the road, it’s unfair and this and why, but I remember just crying, going, ‘Is this ever gonna feel better?’ Because it was just so painful,” Nikki Bella said.

“Let me tell you something about this comeback now. It’s different, everything just feels different. The preparation, the mindset, the confidence. Remembering who the f I am. Like no, no, no, you are that bad bitch, Nikki Bella, and no more being like nice and yay, I’m excited to be here.”