On Sunday April 15, 2018, after six years of being in a relationship, John Cena and Nikki Bella decided to call it quits. They went to social media saying, “While this decision was a difficult one, we continue to have a great deal of love and respect for one another. We ask that you respect our privacy during this time in our lives."

In 2012, John Cena and Nikki Bella started to date. John Cena was in the middle of a public divorce with his ex-wife Elizabeth Huberdeau. It did not stop John Cena from asking Nikki to dinner. At this point they had already been friends due to them both being on the WWE.

Their love life has been very public on the WWE shows, ‘Total Divas’ and ‘Total Bellas’. At a Wrestlemania 34 conference that was held on March 23, 2018, John Cena even recalled the night he proposed. "When a man finds the woman of his dreams and wants to say that he loves her and for the world to know.”

Nikki Bella told Fox News in August 2017, “The only thing that's changed [since the proposal] is he'll text me now saying like, 'I'll miss my bride.' So now he's using the term bride and fiancée which I love,"

So where there any signs that this break up was going to happen? Of course, since day one! Read the following off signs that it was going to happen, and some things we loved!

He Never Wants To Get Married

From the years of 2009-2012, John Cena married his High School Sweetheart, Elizabeth Huberdeau. They had a very public divorce. John Cena and Nikki Bella met on Smackdown Live and started to date in 2012.

“I’m going to choose my words carefully, I can’t give you that.” This was John Cena’s reply to a 2013 episode of Total Divas when Nikki Bella said how badly she wanted to be a mother.

“I’ve told you I don’t want to get married and I don’t want to have kids, and you do want to get married and you do want to have kids. I feel like there’s a time bomb over my head.”

In 2016, John Cena told Rolling Stone in an interview:

“I’ve been upfront about this. I just have things I need to get done. It’s not negotiable. We’ve been to therapy over it. I don’t think it will ever be over with. I’m stubborn as f**k and extremely selfish as well. I don’t want kids, I don’t want marriage. That’s me just saying, ‘Hey this is my life and this is how I’m going to live.’”

Nikki Bella Signs A 75 Page Contract Before Moving In

During an episode of Total Diva’s, John Cena had Nikki Bella sign a 75 page contract before she could move in with him in his home in Florida. John Cena has stated,

“Having been through that process, here is how I view it. It is like buying a handgun for home defense. It gives you security, and it gives you a failsafe in case something happens. And those who buy a handgun for self-defense pray, pray they never have to use it. Without it, it’s a dog fight. I had to have your sister sign an agreement to live in the house. And that’s – it wasn’t a one page, it’s a 75-page agreement.”

John Cena further explained that the contract was to help set boundaries with their relationship. He even said that he had a prenup with his ex-wife, and when he was asked if he was going to have Nikki Bella sign a prenup before they married, “Yes, to protect her. Because she is an independent woman and she has made her own money and she is proud of that. She stands for that.”

The Couple Called Off Their Wedding Before

“I think in relationships, you have highs and lows, and that was an extreme low. You have two choices. You either jump ship and start a new relationship, or move forward and try to work through it.” John Cena said in an interview on the Today Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.

When he was asked if their wedding was still on, John replied: “ Like I said, I believe we both have some work to do, and we’re genuinely trying our best to work through it, so I’m very happy to say it’s in a situation that we’re working through. We haven’t yet jumped ship.”

In this interview he spoke of them hitting a rough patch. In an episode of Total Divas in 2014, we not only find out that John Cena had no interest in marriage or kids, but that Nikki Bella had been married before.

John wanted to have the emotional moment where Nikki and John talked about the possibility of their marriage not happening on an episode of Total Bellas, but it will be a season of fights and love for Nikki and John on the next season of the show this year.

Cena And Nikki Schedule Issues

“We don’t get too much time with each other, and it’s kind of a way for us to steal a date out of our schedule so I was looking forward to seeing her. I haven’t seen her in a few weeks. I’ve been going around the world and she’s been busy as well. I think the gift we both long for is time with each other, so it’s both of us consciously carving out a few days to just have the company of each other.” John Cena told n an interview with ET Online.

Nikki Bella not only has things to do with the Bella Twins for WWE, but she also is involved with her sister in a company called Birdiebee. And it all started with thinking on a plane.

“We were sitting on a plane. Everyone was talking about woman empowerment: Rhonda Rousey, The Williams Sisters etc. We want to walk the talk. What can we create that will ccontinue after we retire? We’re not educated on woman’s hygiene. Sex education. Big Picture.”

The Bella Twins are also two of the Main Stars on Total Bellas and Total Divas. John Cena on the other hand not only has WWE, autograph signings, movie premieres, and movies to star in. He also is one of the Main Characters of Total Bellas and makes regular visits on Total Divas.

Nikki Changes Her Mind About Marriage & Kids Several Times

During the 2014 Mid-Season Finale of Total Divas, Nikki tells John that she is okay without being married after hearing Natalia & TJ having marriage problems after a year of marriage. Brie and Daniel Bryan inform Nikki and Brie’s mother and brother of Nikki’s decision. Brie was worried that one day Nikki could regret this decision. Nikki’s mom said she understands both sides.

Not content with this, Brie and her brother, JJ, had John Cena meet for brunch, along with their mother. They spoke of their concerns about Nikki’s decision. John Cena asked what they wanted him to do. JJ responds, “I’d probably let her go.”

John and Nikki talked at him, where John tells her that he thinks he’s stubborn and he won’t change his mind, keeping her from finding what she really wants in life. He feels she has changed and sacrificed the things she really wants out of life in order to be with him.

“I’m not good for you.” John Cena said.

John Cena Getting Cold Feet

In October of 2017, Nikki Bella told People Magazine how due to their busy schedules, they needed to change their wedding date to May 2018. However, not long after this announcement, John Cena had stated that they were having relationship issues. Could it have been the schedules or something more?

According to a People Magazine Source, the closer the Mexico wedding date of May 5^th came around, the colder John’s feet had gotten.

“She never gave him an ultimatum. He talked a really good game about having changed, about having his priorities straight, about knowing what’s important, and that it was her. But as the day got closer, it was like he just went back to who he’s always been – which is someone who puts himself first, always. He’s an incredibly dedicated, driven, ambitious guy. And for the longest time he said he didn’t think he had room in his life for a spouse or kids. It seems like in the end that was still the truth. But in that case, he never should’ve proposed, let alone in front of millions of people. Now she’s heartbroken.”

Cena’s Reaction To Dolph Ziggler’s Marriage & Kid Proposal

At the end of Season 4 on Total Divas, Dolph Ziggler (Nick) and Nikki Bella went back stage where he informed Nikki that he could give her all of the things she wanted – marriage and kids. He then quickly grabbed her hand and went to kiss her.

At the beginning of season 5, Nikki slaps Dolph Ziggler before he kisses her. In the middle of the episode, Nikki Bella tells John Cena at a restaurant. It starts off with Nikki telling John she needs to tell him something.

“Well, I’ve been trying to tell you for like a week. Dolph pulled me inside at work and told me that he wants to give me marriage and babies and then he tried to kiss me.” Nikki continued. John’s head turns to the side in shock. “But I slapped him.”

Cena replied with, "Okay. I love you. You know I love you. You know I treat you as a grown woman, and if you feel that there’s a connection there and you want to pursue that, I can’t stop you and I’d be so stupid for trying to. There’s nothing, like –it’s not like I’m gonna slap him with an empty glove and challenge him to a duel in – on main street. This is not how it works. Right?”

Brie Doesn’t See Cena As Family

In the first season of Total Bella’s, John Cena had his in-laws move in his and Nikki’s home while she healed from a major neck surgery. Her family already knew about John Cena making Nikki sign a contract before moving in, what they didn’t know was how bad his OCD was. Most of the show was of Brie and Daniel Bryan trying to follow his rules. Brie and Daniel also say that they felt uncomfortable because John Cena’s lifestyle is not the lifestyle they are used to.

Brie was against her sister signing the cohabitation agreement in season one of Total Divas. She said that it was not something a normal relationship would do.

Brie and JJ, Nikki and Brie’s brother, met with John Cena in an episode of Total Divas, asking him to break up with Nikki because they knew she wanted to have kids and that was not something he wanted.

Nikki Realizes Other Men Could Give Her Marriage & Kids

In an interview with Reveal Magazine in the UK, Nikki bella admits her reaction to Dolph Ziggler’s (Nick) proposal of marriage and kids. At the end of Season 4 on Total Divas, Dolph Ziggler (Nick) and Nikki Bella went back stage where he informed Nikki that he could give her all of the things she wanted – marriage and kids. He then quickly grabbed her hand and went to kiss her.

At the beginning of season 5, Nikki slaps Dolph Ziggler before he kisses her.

On an episode of the Steve Harvey show, which aired March 22,2018, Steve Harvey asked if his buddy John Cenna was still going to be getting married to her.

“No, we are still getting married. Uh, we definitely had a moment. We did have a moment where we did call it off. I think the one thing that I realize with wedding planning is that everyone always tells you how amazing it is and all these things, but I think you also come to realize how permanent it is and you do a lot of soul searching, and I wanted this for six years and when it came face to face to it I had to be like wait is this what I want?”

Nikki Thinks About Getting Her Eggs Frozen

In an episode of Total Divas in 2014, Nikki and Brie were having lunch when Nikki told her sister that John Cena asked her a weird question. “Would marriage be enough?” Nikki is very stuck throughout their entire relationship about if she would be okay with sacrificing her dream of being a mother and a wife.

Brie then suggests that it would be a smart idea for Nikki to freeze her eggs, just in case Nikki were to wake up one day and decide that she still wanted to have a baby.

Nikki and Brie go to the Gynaecologist who gives her medicine in needles to help her become fertile so she could freeze her eggs. She decides not to tell John Cena because she is worried on how he would react to it. John Cena says he passed her room and thought the worst, and she confessed what was going on, and Cena agreed it would be a good idea.

Nikki And John Had To Hide Their Relationship

When asked in an interview to NYPost on why Nikki Bella thought they had to hide their relationship so long, she responded:

“They wouldn't allow it for so many years. We were told ‘Not on WWE,’ they could see it on ‘Total Divas,’ Total Bellas,’ but not on WWE. What they realized is that when John was in relationships on-screen, it didn't do as well when he was just himself. So the fan bade didn't take him in like how that was. So after the last on-screen, they were like, no girls with this guy. And I think with a lot of those guys- like, I don’t think you’ll ever see a girl with Roman Reigns. There’s just certain people that it’s just, not that it takes away the ‘Superman” feel of them, but a little bit.”

Was This All For A Storyline?

While anything is possible, this is highly unlikely. Both John and Nikki may be in a career that is high in story line industry, John Cena has said in an interview with US Weekly,

"It takes being able to mesh two lives. I would never ever want Nicole to be in a position where she says 'I'm holding you back from doing this because I feel it's wrong for us.' And I would never say that to her. That's why she's super busy and sometimes we don't see each other for months at a time, but when we do see each other, it's our time together."

In an interview with TribLive Radio in 2013, "The first opening line was, 'Hey, do you want to go to dinner with me?' and I was kind of like, 'What? With me?’ It just kind of started out like a dinner date and I have to admit we were friends for so many years, but then when you make it romantic, I couldn't even say a word to him."

We Love: Nikki Was Always There For John

John Cena proposed to Nikki Bella at the Wrestlemania 33 on Sunday April 2 20017. After 4 years of John saying he did not want to get married, to asking Nikki Bella if it would be enough for her, everyone was shocked and loved this moment on screen. I know I cried!

This proposal just showed how much they were WWE’s Top Power Couple. John Cena and Nikki Bella went on the Today show the next day to speak about their proposal.

“As a matter of fact, I told this story last night before I proposed to Nicole. She’s been by my side through a lot of surgeries. I make a joke when you go under anesthesia - you get like twenty minutes when you’re out of it – but you can talk, and you don’t remember what’s going on. But I always tell her, ‘You know what’s going on…Ask me whatever.”

We Love: John Was Always There For Nikki

In the same interview, on the Today show, the next morning after John Cena proposed to Nikki. He continued to say, “So, when they put her under, I made sure to be the last one to wheel her into the operating room. I stopped the doctors and I leaned down and asked, ‘Can you hear me?’ She said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘I have a question for you.’ You know: Someday, I’m going to marry you.’”

Although Nikki Bella says she does not remember this conversation at all, she has definitely said multiple times over the years that she would love for him to propose to her.

We Love: The Proposal

No matter who you are, you enjoyed the Power Couple’s engagement. Even one week before Nikki and John split, Nikki still was gushing about the way John Cena proposed. On April 8^th 2018, Nikki posted on Instagram an animated reenactment of John Cena proposing.

“OMG love this! Lol I can’t believe this was last year at Wrestlemania! What a moment, still get chills and tears every time. Honestly feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

However, even all good things have a bad side. A source told People Magazine, “ When Cena proposed, he convinced Niki that he was a changed man. And if he can change his mind about never wanting to get married, why wouldn’t he change his mind about not wanting kids?”