John Cena has had many relationships, but the most publicized and documented was with WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella. The duo began dating in 2013 after Cena’s first divorce and were together until 2018, when they split up and even called off their wedding. Despite it being eight years since then, WWE has been bringing up their relationship with major references on television over the last few weeks, and WWE veteran Jonathan Coachman found it disrespectful in regard to Cena.
Jonathan Coachman says WWE is disrespecting John Cena by referencing him in Nikki Bella’s feud on SmackDown
Nikki Bella has been involved in a heated feud with Paige ever since she betrayed her at WWE SummerSlam 2026. Over the last few months, Paige has mocked Bella about her past relationship with Cena. Moreover, in their latest singles match on the October 16 episode of SmackDown, Paige and Bella used Cena’s moves on each other.Witnessing that, Jonathan Coachman called out WWE in the latest edition of The Coach and Bro Show. He said, “How long ago did Nikki Bella date and do that reality show with John Cena? Probably more than five years ago. Cena is either married or in a long-term relationship with a beautiful young lady that resembles Nikki Bella. So you put Nikki and Paige in a rivalry, and in the match, they do the ‘AAA,’ and the announcers say, ‘Clearly, that’s disrespecting because she dated Cena.’ Then Nikki did an STFU because that’s one of Cena’s moves.“
Why did John Cena and Nikki Bella break up?
Despite being together for five years, living in the same house, and even John Cena proposing to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33, the couple parted ways. Nikki wanted children and marriage, while Cena was hesitant about both but still chose to marry her. However, he was and is still opposed to the idea of having kids. Following their separation, Cena married Shay Shariatzadeh, and Nikki tied the knot with her Dancing with the Stars choreographer, Artem Chigvintsev. However, they separated following a domestic violence and assault case in 2024.After her divorce, Nikki Bella returned to WWE in 2025 and has been a part-time star because of commitments outside the ring. Still, she is next in line to challenge Chelsea Green for the WWE Women’s Championship on the October 30 episode of SmackDown and could become champion after 12 long years in WWE.Also read: Penta vs. Tiffany Stratton net worth comparison: Which MITB winner is richer in WWE in 2026?