Recently, WWE’s Survivor Series: WarGames showcased an exciting lineup, featuring two WarGames matches, John Cena defending his Intercontinental Championship, and Nikki Bella facing off against Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Heavyweight Championship.
Nikki Bella has fired back at various online critics who seemed to be harsh in their assessment of the event. She expressed that an important facet of wrestling—the storytelling—could be overshadowed by fans’ ongoing criticisms.
During a chat on “The Nikki & Brie Show,” Nikki remarked, “Sometimes online, some have been so critical of it, and I’m like, ‘You guys, get back to the make-believe of what we did.'”
Nikki also pointed out that fans tend to go hard on the creative team at WWE. She emphasized the significance of enjoying the sport for its quality wrestling and the stories behind it.
A recent report by Sportster labeled the men’s WarGames match at Survivor Series as “the worst PLE main event of 2025,” awarding it a score of 5.5 out of 10 due to lack of storyline progression. Similarly, CageMatch.net echoed this sentiment, giving it a comparable score.
Evaluation of the match between Nikki and Stephanie from TJR Wrestling rated it the lowest of the four, marking it at two and three-fourths of a star, and indicated it could work well as a TV match despite receiving little audience engagement during the event.
While Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer hasn’t yet provided ratings for the WarGames matches, it seems unlikely that Nikki’s performance would receive a high ranking.
Nikki reflected on how online reactions have leaned towards the negative, yet she loved the vibe and excitement from the audience at Petco Park in San Diego where the event occurred.
“That crowd from beginning to end was amazing,” Nikki shared with Brie, highlighting how her match was positioned just ahead of the main event, noting it was “the toughest spot of them all.”
She described losing herself in the drama of WarGames, relishing the anticipation of who would enter next and what weapons would be involved—signifying just how fun it is.
Although Nikki fell short in her attempt to claim the championship from Stephanie, being hit with numerous Devil’s Kiss moves before being pinned down, she acknowledged feedback regarding the match being slower and lacking more dynamic exchanges.
“It was supposed to have more emotion, portraying that one turned bad and the other turned good,” she explained, reinforcing the notion that the match centered more on their overarching storyline.
Despite the criticism, Nikki mentioned she received supportive messages from prominent figures within the WWE, though she kept their identities to herself.
