For the first time since before their rise to fame through the WWE, Chaparral High School graduates Nikki and Brie Bella will be returning to their hometown the way that they left, as the Garcia Twins.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Making a final WWE in-ring appearance during the 2022 Royal Rumble, the twins chose to bid farewell to their stage names after 17 years and revert to their original names, Garcia. This Saturday, they return to host their first live-event in The Valley as The Garcia Twins.
Nikki was a star soccer player at Chaparral between 1998-2002 and dreamed of playing on the women’s World Cup team. She had an intent to sign with Arizona State and had spots ready for her to play on the short-lived soccer club, the Arizona Heatwave.
A significant injury at the end of Nikki’s high school career wiped her scholarship offers and changed her course. Nikki and Brie attended Grossmont college in San Diego for one year before moving to Los Angeles.
Brie grew up playing soccer with her sister but was not as interested in making a career out of it. They both grew up playing on club teams for Scottsdale.
The Garcia twins made their main-roster debut for the WWE in 2008 and their career to superstardom took off as soon as “Twin Magic” took center stage in the ring.
Shortly after their debut, in 2013 the twins landed roles in the reality television series “Total Divas.” The show provided a behind the scenes look into the life of the WWE’s Diva superstars. After being clear fan-favorites, the twins got a show of their own titled “Total Bellas.”
The twins were trailblazers for women in the WWE, taking part in the first ever WWE Evolution pay-per-view – an event that featured only female wrestlers. Brie held the title of Divas Champion once, being the first sister to achieve this honor. Nikki, on the other hand, secured the title of Divas Champion twice and holds the record for the longest reigning champion after the retirement of the title in 2016..
Officially closing the book on their WWE days in 2023, the Garcia Twins are parents with a successful wine brand, clothing line and podcast. They will be coming back to The Valley to host their podcast, “The Nikki and Brie Show,” in a live session at the Gila River Resort on Saturday.
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Taylyn Hadley is a sports and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X via @TAYLYNH11.
