Nikki Bella's New Breast Implants Ruin the Bellas' 'Twin Magic' Gimmick
When Nikki Bella decided to get breast implants for whatever personal reason, it ruined her "Twin Magic" gimmick with her sister, Brie. As a tag team whose twist is looking identical to help each other win, the twin-switching routine no longer works.
But with their growing characters and skills, perhaps becoming more individual is a good thing.
The Bella Twins signed with the WWE in 2007, after initially not making the cut to appear in the 2006 Diva Search. Once signed, they honed their craft in Florida Championship Wrestling, moving to the SmackDown roster in 2008. Both Bellas went on to win the Divas title on separate occasions.
It was the twin gimmick that introduced them to WWE fans, as Brie, who debuted first, would disappear under rings during bouts, only to come back out looking refreshed. This was part of their "Twin Magic," the ability to seamlessly—and unknowingly—switch back and forth between the two to gain the upper hand and the victory.
It didn't always work.
The switching didn’t get Brie the win over WWE Divas Champion Eve in April 2011, but Nikki nonetheless caused enough distraction to help her sister get the pin. In Nikki's title match, the bout was a LumberJill affair, so "Twin Magic" was once again subdued.
The twins did successfully utilize their switch tactic in a recent win over Kaitlyn. But realistically, the whole routine is bound to fail because of Nikki's recent breast enhancement surgery. How long can the WWE ignore the noticeable difference between the two and still pull the switcheroo stunt?
Not for much longer.
Continuing the charade against the obvious is an insult to WWE fans. Yes, wrestling survives on suspending disbelief. But even so, there must be something that grounds the spectacle in reality.
The Killer Bees had an early version of "Twin Magic" that involved matching outfits and masks.
The Killer Bees are a perfect example of this.
The '80s tag team consisted of "Jumpin" Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair, both of whom wore matching black and yellow striped trunks and boots. The two men looked different in their faces, but their bodies were very similar.
During their bouts they would escape to the floor and don identical striped masks. Upon their return to the ring, they were able to switch in and out of the match, much like the Bella Twins do. The referee would be unable to tell the two men apart, giving them an advantage to win the match.
This is where reality came into play with suspension of disbelief. It was believable that, with their masks on, Brunzell and Blair could be mistaken for each other.
It simply doesn't work for the Bella Twins anymore. It's hard to mistake one for the other when a glaring difference between the two is sticking out for all to see.
When Nikki Bella pinned Kaitlyn on Raw, "Twin Magic" was used. Of course, the referee only saw the back of Brie's head.
The good thing is, Nikki and Brie don't need "Twin Magic" anymore. With a Divas title each under their belts and solid character development, the twins are good enough without it. In the 2011 PWI Female 50, Brie was ranked No. 21, ahead of Melina, Gail Kim, Jazz and Maryse.
Nikki, of course, pinned WWE Divas Champion Kaitlyn on the April 15 edition of Raw. Even though the pin came with her sister's help, a win is still a win. A victory like that could earn Nikki a title shot sooner rather than later.
It comes down to this: The women in the WWE get very little television time. The WWE shouldn't waste any more of it pushing an unrealistic switching gimmick between two easy-to-differentiate twins. Instead, that precious time should be spent on Nikki and Brie's growing individual skills in the ring.
With so many of the Divas as faces, the Bella Twins need to be pushed in their roles as heels. They could continue their involvement with Team Rhodes Scholars, creating a nice balance to that of Tons of Funk and the Funkadactyls. Put the tag team belts on Rhodes Scholars and have Nikki and Brie trade the Divas title back and forth—when one loses it, the other wins it.
This would create a twin dynasty with the belt. Now that would be real magic.
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