Does Nikki Bella still secretly like and stalk John Cena? Exploring possibility after the WWE Hall of Famer’s tribute to him on WWE RAW

John Cena and Nikki Bella were one of the most prolific relationships in WWE history. The duo even got engaged at WrestleMania 33 in front of the entire world and were almost close to tying the knot. However, months after their engagement, the duo split due to their differences. Cena went on to marry Shay Shariatzadeh in 2020, while Nikki got married to her Dancing with the Stars partner, Artem Chigvinstev. However, the duo got divorced last year due to charges of domestic violence and battery alleged by Bella.

With the WWE Hall of Famer's split, she then returned to WWE in 2025 and revealed that she met her ex-fiance, John Cena, on some occasions in the locker room. Furthermore, she even paid a tribute to Cena on the December 29 edition of RAW by using his submission move, STF, during her match, which led to fans chanting 'Thank You Cena.' This led to a belief that Bella might possibly still have some feelings for the Never Seen 17 and possibly even stalk her on some occasions.

However, in light of recent events, the debate does not seem true, as Nikki Bella is reportedly dating 22-year-old NFL player Cooper DeJean. This came after she was spotted wearing his team's jersey, attending his games, and DeJean was also present for an episode of RAW to watch her. The tribute could have just been Bella's way of thanking Cena for being a big part of WWE and also her life.

John Cena retired from WWE while Nikki Bella is currently a part of the active roster

John Cena wrestled his final WWE match against Gunther at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event in December. The Cenation Leader gave a spectacular performance, but shockingly tapped out to The Ring General's sleeperhold after resisting for a long time. The memorable sight was Cena's smile when he submitted; however, it drew a lot of backlash from fans.

On the other hand, Nikki Bella has been an active part of the main roster since June 2025. She recently turned heel and has been involved in a rivalry with her former friend, Stephanie Vaquer. However, Bella has failed to capture the WWE Women's World title from her at Survivor Series and on the final episode of RAW in the aforementioned triple threat match, also involving Raquel Rodriguez. So it remains to be seen if she will be successful in her quest in 2026.

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