Nikki Bella Slams “Ignorant Men” For Online Hate, Rikishi Hated R-Truth’s ‘Black Guy’ Stereotype Character, Vince McMahon Made Kurt Angle Feel Miserable

WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella believes much of the criticism she receives online comes from people — particularly men — who are unwilling to understand her full story.

Speaking on a recent episode of her “The Nikki and Brie Show” podcast, Nikki addressed ongoing debates about her legacy in professional wrestling. She said,

“Impact means so many different things, right? And breaking barriers — it’s not just about a move set in the ring. It’s about using your voice. It’s about fighting for what’s right. It’s about breaking barriers. It’s hard, I think, for a certain crowd on the internet to understand that. They hear, ‘Oh, you paved the way?’ and they make comments. And let’s just be honest — it’s mostly ignorant men. I don’t even give a f*ck.”

Bella, who still holds the record for the longest Divas Championship reign in WWE history (nearly a full year from 2014 to 2015), has often been labeled a “trailblazer” and “icon” of the women’s division — titles some fans have challenged.

Nikki recently returned to WWE on RAW, where Women’s World Champion IYO SKY credited her for paving the way for talents like herself.

R-Truth may have brought laughter to millions with his comedic antics, but WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi isn’t a fan of how the character was portrayed.

Speaking on a recent episode of his “Off the Top” podcast, Rikishi criticized the way Truth’s character often relied on negative stereotypes of Black men. He said,

“Certain promos they had him cut made it seem like he was a Black guy who just didn’t get it. I hated that. That kind of promo — it felt like that’s the best creative could come up with, and that’s a problem.”

Despite his criticism, Rikishi acknowledged Truth’s commitment to the role, saying he made the most of a tough situation by playing the confused, over-the-top persona for years.

Following his surprise return at Money in the Bank 2025, Truth has reintroduced himself as Ron Killings and taken a more serious turn—launching a focused attack on WWE Champion John Cena on SmackDown.

Kurt Angle has revealed that one of the lowest points of his WWE career came in 2005, all due to a controversial storyline pitched by Vince McMahon.

Speaking with “Inside the Ropes,” the Olympic Gold Medalist didn’t hold back when asked about the worst storyline he ever participated in. He said,

“The worst storyline I ever hated… it was when I was stalking Sharmell, Booker T’s wife. Vince had this idea—he found out I had dated a Black girl once, and he ran with it. He said, ‘I’m going to have him stalk Sharmell on TV. And when he comes back, I’m going to give him a son.’ This guy made me miserable. It was just unbelievable.”

The storyline infamously featured Angle making disturbing comments toward Sharmell, including a demand for “bestiality sex,” and was widely criticized at the time. It was quickly dropped after Angle moved to RAW later that year, while Booker T and Sharmell shifted focus to the United States Championship scene.