SuperStars

NIKKI BELLA

Normally, seeing two equally gorgeous twins requires a night of heavy drinking and some serious beer goggles. But, with the Bellas – Nikki and her sister Brie – the double vision is the real deal.

A self-admitted "tomboy" with a feminine side, Nikki originally planned to play professional soccer until a leg injury ended her career. From there, she followed her twin sister Brie’s lead into WWE.

Unsuccessful in seizing spots in the 2006 WWE Raw Diva Search, the Bellas caught the eyes of execs and soon landed in FCW. Training for the competition they’d soon crush (while male WWE fans formed crushes on them), Nikki and her sibling made their way onto the main roster in 2008 and turned heads whenever they set foot inside the ring.

But don’t be fooled — Nikki is more than just a (really) pretty face. With a dash of “Twin Magic,” Nikki and her sister stirred up the Divas division, culminating with Brie’s Divas Title reign in 2011. Nikki followed with a Divas Championship victory of her own, defeating Beth Phoenix in April 2012. The cunning femmes fatale made a lasting mark on the Divas division — even if it meant breaking more than just a heart or two — and after a brief sabbatical from the ring, a return in March 2013 proved that the Bellas still have plenty of twin magic in their collective arsenal.

Since their return, The Bella Twins have found success in reality television as stars of the E! hit series “Total Divas,” and have remained vigilant in pursuit of the Divas Championship. However, things began to change drastically for the twins in the summer of 2014. At SummerSlam, Nikki betrayed her sister, costing Brie her match against Stephanie McMahon and continuing to torment her sibling for several months. 

At Survivor Series, however, Brie shocked the entire WWE Universe, kissing AJ Lee as the match began which allowed Nikki to take down the Divas Champion, execute the Rack Attack and net the butterfly title for the second time. Since then, several Divas have been in hot pursuit of Nikki’s prize, including Naomi, who unsuccessfully challenged Nikki for the title at Extreme Rules. Unrelenting, Naomi joined forces with the returning Tamina, destroying Nikki and Brie on the May 4 edition of Raw. One week later, Tamina defeated Brie in singles action as Nikki looked on.

The champion and her sister Brie were unable to gain retribution at WWE Payback 2015, losing to Naomi & Tamina in a hard-hitting Divas Tag Team Match. The next night, Nikki’s title defense against Naomi devolved into a two-on-one beatdown, with her sister Brie barred from ringside. A returning Paige fought off Naomi and Tamina, only to hit the Divas Champion with the Rampaiger afterward. Nikki was able to overcome both Naomi and Paige in a Divas Title Triple Threat Match at WWE Elimination Chamber, when she hit Naomi with the Rack Attack to retain the championship. Paige challenged Nikki for the title in a one-on-one rematch the following night on Raw, but a dose of “Twin Magic” helped The Bella Twins bend the rules and keep the title in Nikki’s hands. On her 203rd day as Divas Champion, the Fearless Diva defeated Paige to retain her title with some assistance from twin sister Brie at WWE Money in the Bank 2015.

JOHN CENA

Really, now. Who ever saw John Cena coming? When he debuted on SmackDown in June 2002, he was just a beefy guy in purple trunks. Within a year of his introduction, he transformed into the battle-rapping, chain-wielding “Doctor of Thuganomics.” Now, he’s the biggest star in WWE — but he’s also the most polarizing.

Fans love him or hate him. There’s no middle ground, and that’s the power of John Cena. Whatever you think of The Champ, there’s no denying his actions impact everything and everyone around him. Sure, he has his detractors, and they’re vocal, but Cena is still easily the most admired competitor in WWE, as evidenced by his nine million–plus Facebook followers. Cenation is strong. And its message is spreading. Whether competing in the squared circle, performing in front of the camera or donating time to charitable organizations like Make-A-Wish, The Champ is there.

A product of West Newbury, Mass., Cena discovered sports and weightlifting in his teens. He attended Springfield College, where he earned a degree in exercise physiology and excelled as a Division III All-American offensive lineman. Although he grew up a huge fan of such Superstars as Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, Cena only seriously considered becoming one himself while working the counter at Gold’s Gym in Venice, Calif. There, a wrestler-in-training encouraged him to enroll in class to learn the ropes. From day one, he was hooked.

A year later, Cena was signed by WWE to a developmental contract. What did he have that others didn’t? A physique that looked as though it were formed from Portland cement, mic skills that would shame a Roman senator, the tireless perseverance of Superman, and a devastating move that could turn even the most cast-iron grapplers into bags of mulch.

Throughout the past decade, Cena has amassed many honors, most notably an amazing 15 World Titles. He’s no stranger to struggle — he lost to The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII, became the first Superstar to unsuccessfully cash in a Money in the Bank contract and was obliterated by Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2014 — but the man does not quit.

Most recently, Cena challenged for the United States Championship against Rusev at WWE Fastlane, only to come up short after passing out in The Accolade. Rusev avoided Cena's challenge for a rematch at WrestleMania, until the Cenation leader locked him in an STF until Lana granted Cena the match. At WrestleMania 31, Cena overcame The Hero of the Russian Federation, nailing an Attitude Adjustment for the victory and his fourth United States Championship. Cena beat The Super Athlete again at Extreme Rules in a brutal Russian Chain Match. Most recently, The Champ made Rusev utter the words “I Quit,” as interrupted by The Ravishing Russian. 

With the United States Title in his possession, Cena has been holding open challenges on Raw for any opponent brave enough to try to take the title from him. He's toppled Dean Ambrose, Stardust and Sami Zayn.

Cena's latest challenge came in the form of NXT Champion Kevin Owens, a hard-nosed brawler who likes nothing more than a fistfight. To the shock of the WWE Universe at WWE Elimination Chamber 2015, Owens defeated Cena in a career-making victory with his devastating Pop-up Powerbomb in the non-title match. However, at Money in the Bank 2015, The Champ avenged the loss by defeating Kevin Owens in a thrilling back-and-forth contest. After the match, Cena attempted to shake and raise Owens' hand in a sign of respect, but Owens would have none of it and viciously Powerbombed the leader of the Cenation onto the edge of the ring apron. Owens then proceeded to raise Cena's United States Championship in the air, signaling the conflict between the two Superstars is far from over.

ROMAN REIGNS

A star defensive tackle at Georgia Tech, Roman Reigns wrecked offensive guards for both the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars before becoming a WWE Superstar. The hulking powerhouse brought his smash-mouth gridiron style to WWE’s developmental system, NXT, where he left a long line of tough opponents in crumpled heaps. But it was at the 2012 Survivor Series that Reigns made his greatest impact.

In the heat of a Triple Threat Match between WWE Champion CM Punk, John Cena and Ryback, Reigns hit the ring alongside fellow WWE NXT competitors Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins and unleashed a merciless attack on the mighty Ryback. Tearing at the beast like a pack of hungry jackals, the young competitors ruined Ryback’s opportunity to win the WWE Title and drove him through a ringside table.

Rumors that the group was working in collusion with The Straight Edge Superstar quickly spread, but those ties were strongly denied when Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose sat down with Michael Cole for an interview. Branding themselves “The Shield,” the band of upstarts in black tactical gear claimed that they weren’t in WWE to aid Punk, but to halt injustice. From then on, the group targeted anyone and everyone they saw as an example of said injustice, with Reigns slowly emerging as the trio’s juggernaut. At Extreme Rules 2013, Rollins & Reigns bested Team Hell No to win the WWE Tag Team Titles, later targeting Daniel Bryan on multiple occasions on the orders of WWE COO Triple H and his corporate Authority.

Reigns didn’t even suffer his first pinfall until nearly a year after The Shield debuted when he was eliminated by The Usos in the first-ever 11-on-3 Handicap Elimination Tag Team Match that pitted The Hounds against Bryan and his locker-room supporters. As tensions began to rise between The Shield and The Authority in 2014, The Authority was revealed to view The Shield as “expendable” and The Hounds turned on their handlers, causing Triple H to re-form Evolution in retaliation. When that plan failed, he recruited Rollins to his own ranks, causing The Shield to implode.

Following the breakup of The Shield, Reigns began an explosive pursuit of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and, eventually, he seemed to have the prize within his grasp when he overcome 29 other Superstars in the 2015 Royal Rumble Match. With The Rock stepping through the ropes to raise his hand in victory, the powerful Superstar was headed to WrestleMania. However, some among the WWE Universe felt Daniel Bryan was more deserving of the match. So, at WWE Fastlane, Reigns and Bryan battled to decide who would face Lesnar on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Bryan pushed Reigns to the limit and pulled out all the stops. However, a last-second Spear allowed Reigns to secure the victory and retain his place in the main event at WrestleMania.

At WrestleMania 31, Reigns challenged Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a brutal match. Toward the end of the match, Mr. Money in the Bank Seth Rollins made an appearance, cashing in his contract and making the main event a Triple Threat Match. After getting hit with a vicious Curb Stomp, Reigns was pinned by Rollins, making Rollins the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. A Triple Threat Match against Randy Orton and Ryback gave Reigns an opportunity at becoming No. 1 contender, but Big Show knocked him out in the heat of the match.

The Big Dog would get payback, however, overcoming The World's Largest Athlete in a Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules. Then, Reigns competed in a brutal Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Title at WWE Payback, taking on Rollins, Ambrose and The Viper. Though he was unsuccessful in that effort, Reigns had another opportunity to earn a chance for the championship at WWE Money in the Bank 2015. He looked to have the match won before Bray Wyatt made an unexpected appearance, knocking him off the ladder and hitting Sister Abigail to dash The Big Dog's chances.

TRIPLE H

He’s The King of Kings, a nickname with no hint of exaggeration considering that Triple H is essentially WWE royalty. From his days as a Greenwich, Conn., snob, to his era-defining run as a co-founder of D-Generation X, to the unrelenting drive that made himself an absolute squared circle institution, to shepherding future main eventers Randy Orton and Batista toward WWE greatness in Evolution, Triple H hasn’t just existed on the cutting edge, he’s been the one sharpening the blade.

A 13-time World Champion, The Game has clashed with a litany of ring legends to seize the throne as The King of Kings. The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, John Cena and even WWE Chairman Vince McMahon — each mowed down by the sledgehammer-wielding fist of The Cerebral Assassin. He has methodically and systematically usurped sports-entertainment, capturing every major WWE championship (multiple times), the King of the Ring crown, a Royal Rumble Match victory (2002) and the marquee spot in epic matches at WrestleMania on several occasions, all throughout a career that spans nearly two decades.

As The Game’s role within WWE shifted from active competition, he used his squared circle acumen to nab the title of WWE’s Chief Operating Officer. But even after trading his trunks for a suit, The Game would reemerge whenever the time was right to forge epic battles in the ring, including back-to-back showdowns against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII and XXVIII, a brutal rivalry with Brock Lesnar, battling Daniel Bryan and even briefly reforming Evolution to take on the dominant Shield. Through these encounters, Triple H showed that no matter what his role in WWE, those who choose to play The Game should be prepared to play by his rules.

Most recently, Triple H battled back WCW stalwart Sting, who arrived in WWE at the end of the 2014 Survivor Series and helped a squad led by John Cena put The Authority out of power. The group would ultimately reclaim their rule, and the stage was set for an encounter between The Game and WCW’s most loyal soldier at WrestleMania 31. Triple H was victorious in that showdown — thanks in no small part to involvement from his DX cronies — but his night didn’t end there.

After a speech from Triple H and Stephanie was interrupted by The Rock, WWE’s COO found himself on the receiving end of a series of punches from The Great One and a devastating judo throw from UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey. The Game may have concurred Sting, but he left WrestleMania with his tail between his legs.

Nevertheless, Triple H’s mission as COO remains the same — keep WWE on the course he believes in and his actions have proven that he will do whatever’s best for business ... even if it isn’t what’s best for you.