WWE legend Nikki Bella ‘honored’ to be named grand marshal of 2026 Fiesta Bowl Parade

WWE legend Nikki Bella, an alumna of Scottsdale's Chaparral High School, was named the grand marshal of the 53rd annual Fiesta Bowl Parade.

BY JEFF VINTON

Dec 10, 2025, 9:34 AM Updated: 2:06 pm

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PHOENIX — A WWE legend will return home to lead the 2026 Fiesta Bowl Parade.

On Wednesday, Nikki Bella, a graduate of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, a two-time WWE Divas champion and 2021 WWE Hall of Fame inductee, was named the grand marshal of the Jan. 3, 2026, parade by the Fiesta Sports Foundation.

“The Fiesta Bowl is just so iconic to our state,” Bella told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos. “I just was not only so excited, I truly was honored. … Growing up in Arizona, we know the importance of this. Not only of the parade, but of the game. So, I’m so stoked.”

Bella, whose birth name is Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, was born in San Diego just minutes after her twin sister, Brie. Their family moved to Scottsdale when the girls were in third grade, and they spent the rest of their childhoods in the Valley.

Nikki Bella played multiple sports growing up, but her favorite was soccer. She played competitively for 11 years with the Sereno Soccer Club, which now competes as Real Salt Lake Arizona. She also played high school soccer at Chaparral.

However, even though she loved soccer, Bella said that it always interfered with her attending the Fiesta Bowl Parade.

“(The) Fiesta Bowl’s the biggest thing there, you know? And I remember every year we always would have our parties growing up. I’d always be begging to go to the parade, but I always had soccer games,” Bella said.

That makes her role in the upcoming parade even more of a special experience.

“So, the fact that I finally make it to the parade and I’m in it, and I’m the grand marshal, my brother was the first call to brag when I found out,” Bella said. “And he was like, ‘What?’ I’m like, ‘I know! Can you believe it?’ It is truly an honor being a ‘Zonie.'”

Nikki Bella’s journey to becoming the grand marshal of the Fiesta Bowl parade

After high school, Bella played college soccer at Grossmont College in San Diego, but soon turned her focus to wrestling. She made her debut in WWE in 2007 and was a mainstay for the next 12 years before pausing her career when a cyst was found on her brain.

Undeterred, Bella returned to action in 2022 after being medically cleared. However, that stint in the ring would not last long, as the Bella twins announced in March 2023 that they had mutually agreed with WWE not to renew their contracts.

During that break, Bella said the word “retirement” never crossed her mind.

“I think this is pretty much any professional sport, but definitely wrestling, it never leaves you,” she said.

Bella would stay on the sidelines until February, when she made her return to action at the “Royal Rumble” in Indianapolis. She also took part in the June 9 edition of “Raw,” which took place at the Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix.

Adding wrestling, weightlifting and recovery days back into her life has made Bella even busier than she previously was, as she is raising a 5-year-old son, hosting a podcast with her sister and running multiple businesses, including the Bonita Bonita wine label.

“I’ve realized, OK, this is very hard work,” Bella said. “It’s not easy, but it’s very rewarding.”

Why was Nikki Bella chosen as the Fiesta Bowl Parade’s grand marshal?

Each year, the Fiesta Sports Foundation selects a grand marshal for the parade who they feel aligns with the organization’s values of driving economic growth, championing charitable causes and executing innovative experiences.

Organizers said Bella fits the bill perfectly.

“Nikki Bella embodies strength, resilience, entertainment and heart — all qualities that resonate deeply with our community and with what this parade represents,” Fiesta Sports Foundation Executive Director and CEO Erik Moses said in a press release. “Her Arizona upbringing and extraordinary career make her an inspiring choice to lead this year’s celebration, and we look forward to welcoming fans as she brings her superstar energy to central Phoenix.”

As grand marshal, Bella will take a role previously held by former Arizona State University stars Anthony Robles and Jake Plummer, former Phoenix Sun Charles Barkley, former Arizona Diamondback Randy Johnson, former Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi and many others.

More information on the upcoming parade can be found on the Fiesta Bowl Foundation’s website.