WWE SmackDown color-commentator Wade Barrett took to social media, responding to Hall of Famer Nikki Bella that he ignored her backstage at this past Monday’s Raw.
During this past Wednesday’s The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki spoke on Barrett’s role as heel commentator and the comments he had made during the Countdown to Clash in Paris, in which he gave his opinion on Nikki who was challenging Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Title on the show. Barrett said that the WWE’s women’s division may have passed Nikki by over these past years since she has last been a regular competitor in the ring.
Nikki said Barrett avoided her on Monday, which was shocking because he always goes up to her and says hi. She also added that he tried to avoid making eye contact with her in the hallway. Nikki then went to talk about how Michael Cole is one of the greatest commentators and knows how to tell a story. Following her comments on Cole, Nikki then pivoted back to addressing Barrett, saying she watched the pre-show and what Barrett had said about her and that it was fine.
“I would love to have a conversation with Wade Barrett, and he avoided me on Monday [at WWE Raw] which was shocking because he always comes up and says hi to me, and he tried to avoid making eye contact with me in the hallway. I understand when you want to be a heel commentator and stuff, but then there’s one thing of like… Michael Cole does this beautifully, and this is why Michael Cole is one of the greatest commentators. He knows how to take a life story and put it into what we do, because that is real. We don’t go out there as robots or superheroes. We’re actually professional athletes and we go through real things and we have to make that part of it. Honestly, that stuff doesn’t bother me because I get it. Like, I was watching the pre-show and I saw what Wade was saying about me in the pre-show, and I was sitting there getting ready in the locker room like, oh, okay. That’s fine.“
Barrett responded on social media, stating that he is happy to have a conversation with Nikki and had no idea. He also added that he wished she would have brought it up when they said hello to each other Raw, rather than her podcast, further noting the avoiding claim is ‘simply not true.’
“I had no idea Nicole felt this way, and I’m happy to have this ‘conversation’ any time she likes. I wish she’d brought it up when we said hello to each other at Raw, rather than via her podcast. I don’t understand the avoiding claim at all, simply not true.“
