Brie Bella interview before Saturday’s event in Phoenix, as well as WrestleMania
Brie Bella was interviewed by AZCentral.com in advance of Saturday’s event in Phoenix, as well as WrestleMania.
'Diva' twin Brie Bella talks about Phoenix WWE Live
When WWE Live returns to Phoenix on Saturday, March 21, it also will be a homecoming for the pro-wrestling outfit's twin Divas, Brie and Nikki Bella, who grew up in Scottsdale.
The Bella Twins will be in the ring to take on their rival Paige — who's their co-star on the E! reality series "Total Divas," which just wrapped up its third season. Also on the marquee for WWE Live are "Superstars" John Cena, Roman Reigns and Rusev, who will be moving their story lines along for World Wrestling Entertainment's annual climax of WrestleMania on March 29 in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Republic caught up with Brie Bella recently by phone.
Question: You and Nikki got your start in athletics playing club soccer. How did you discover wrestling?
Answer: We played with Sereno Soccer Club, which means we traveled throughout the United States. When I graduated from Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, I made my way back to San Diego, which is where I was born. And I saw WWE Divas on television, and I thought to myself, "Oh my goodness, that is our calling." We love to be athletic, but at the same time we love to entertain. So my sister was actually looking to play pro soccer in Italy, and I convinced her. I said, "Please, there's this thing called WWE Diva Search. I really want to go. I think we can do this." And sure enough they gave my sister and me a shot. We got in the ring, fell in love, and the rest is history.
Q: What was the most challenging thing about learning pro wrestling?
A: I came from the soccer world, so all I knew was get the ball in that net. And when you're working with WWE, you're pretty much doing stunt work, you have to train and make sure you're safe and you're safe for your opponent, but at the same time you have to tell a story. And to learn all of that and put it into one match, it was tough. But the minute you get it and the minute it becomes easy to you, it's the most fun thing you'll ever do in your life. And you can be so creative. It's like playtime.
Q: Before you started wrestling, you and Nikki starred on the series "Meet My Folks." What attracted you to reality television?
A: Ever since we were little — and this goes from when we were babies through high school — everyone always said, "The twins are so entertaining. Just sit down with them for five minutes, and you will see so much happen. They will fight, they will laugh, they will love each other, and then they will tell each other off."
Reality TV started becoming big when I was in college, around 2002. I remember everyone kept saying, "Man, you guys should do reality." And I was always like, "I don't know." But "Meet My Folks" wanted my sister and I to go on, and hey, when you're 19 and they want to give you a paycheck to have some fun? My sister and I were all about it. And sure enough, we felt so comfortable in front of the cameras.
I'll never forget that night. Trista (Rehn) was the first "Bachelorette" (on ABC), and our "Meet My Folks," the twin special, beat her in viewers that night, which was a really big deal. And ever since then, my sister and I did reality.
Q: It must be interesting to live life as identical twins.
A: All the weird crazy things people say, like twins can read each other minds, they can feel each other's feelings, it's all true. We can have complete conversations with our eyes. When I look at my sister, I'm like, this has been a 31-year marriage. We're like this old couple who bickers. We love each other, but we'll get annoyed if the other one chews their gum weird. But we do have a special bond, and I think that's one reason as a tag team for WWE we've done so well, because we know each other so well. It's crazy, our chemistry not just outside the ring but in the ring. Blood is thicker than water, so the fact that I have my sister always with me, it's like you always have someone who's your best friend and always have someone who has your back. You can always trust your family, and I'm lucky to have that.
Q: What's your fitness regimen?
A: Every day, I make sure I do something active, whether I only have time to do a 20-minute walk or pull up a 15-minute barre video to going in the gym for two hours. But I am one of those people, I truly believe to always change up your workouts, because I can get bored very easy, which will then turn me off from working out. So I'm obsessed with Pilates, yoga, I do barre class, and then I'll do a little bit of weight lifting. And then also stretching every day. It is so important. I think people forget, because sometimes when you're done with a workout, you're like, "OK, I'm done." But if you can stretch every day, you will be so grateful later on in life.
Original article can be found by clicking here.
WWE Live
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21.
Where: US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix.
Admission: $31.60-$115.25.
Details: 800-745-3000, wwe.com, ticketmaster.com.
