Brianna Garcia-Colace and Nicole Garcia-Colace have always had a flair for competition. Better known to their fans as The Bella Twins, the Mexican-Italian duo have taken their love of competing and winning and made a name for themselves as WWE Divas. The 29-year-olds, who came on the pro-wrestling scene in 2007, have been using their “twin power” to tag team during matches and are still going strong. After taking a year off the two are back, bearing all in a new reality show, Total Divas. In the show, fans get an inside look at the drama, the glamour and the romance that goes on in their lives both in and out of the ring.
On the heels of the show’s premiere ‘LLERO sat down with the beautiful gemelas to discuss romance, championships and what they love most about Latino men.
‘LLERO: Where did you grow up?
Brie: We were born in San Diego, California then grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. After Scottsdale High School we went back to San Diego because that’s where our family is all from.
‘LLERO: How did you get your start in wrestling?
Nicole: Brie and I were competitive soccer players for 11 years so that’s where we get that athletic and competitive background. And when we were younger we just always aspired to be entertainers. As children it was something we just loved to do. So, after a few years in college Brie saw the Divas Division and she was like “Oh my God, this is athletics and entertainment we’ve got to do this!” So we entered Diva Search and from then on wrestling became our passion.
‘LLERO: You left wrestling for a little while and then came back. What made you decide to return and get involved with the series?
Brie: We just needed a break. The great thing is right when we decided to come back is when WWE Divas decided to collaborate with E! and do the Divas show. Obviously, the Bella Twins would be perfect for that. We’re private people but at the same time we don’t mind opening up and exposing some parts of our life.
‘LLERO: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
Brie: Both Nikki and I have been Diva champions. That was a huge honor when we both won that title. So, we’re looking to get it back!
‘LLERO: Since you are identical twins how do people tell you both apart, especially guys?
Brie: Well, Nicole is a little curvier (laughs), I mean not that I don’t have any curves, I do. Also, our personalities are really different. Nicole is your full-fledged Latina, she is feistier. I’m more quiet and passive.
Nicole: Brie is the hippie; she shops at the farmer’s market and stuff like that.
‘LLERO: What makes a man a “caballero” to you? What do you look for in a man?
Nicole and Brie: Oh My God he has to have a sense of humor! Obviously, physical attraction as well but if you might not be the best looking but if you have a great personality and sense of humor you become very attractive.
‘LLERO: What do you love about Latino men?
Nicole: We love their style and definitely how easy they are on the eyes. And we love their passion.
LLERO: You both have been linked to WWE Superstars, are there any truth to the rumors?
Nicole: They are actually not rumors I am with Jon Cena and Brie is with Daniel Bryan.
Brie: We are super, super happy. And that’s one reason we wanted to do Total Divas because you actually get to see our relationships. We’ve had to hide it for so long and now it’s just going to be right out in the open.
‘LLERO: Most people don’t know that you are half Mexican. Was the culture a big part of your life growing up?
Nicole and Brie: Yes, you know the cool thing about being half-Mexican and half-Italian is both are so big on family. So our Mexican side has like amazing food and my mom is a good cook. So we are very proud of our Mexican roots.
‘LLERO: What can we look forward to seeing in Total Divas?
Brie: Some highlights I would definitely say are backstage at WrestleMania, moments with us and our boyfriends and even moments with us and our family members.
‘LLERO: What challenges have you faced being a woman in the WWE?
Nicole: People look at it and think of it as a man’s world because there are more Superstars than Divas, but I think the one thing is [you have to be] really confident and stand strong. It’s very empowering once you’ve made it in the WWE.
‘LLERO: Who influenced you both growing up?
Nicole: Both our grandmother and mother were very powerful women. For instance, my mom didn’t have a college degree and people didn’t think she could own her own business but she never took no for an answer. Just to see my mom striving for her dream, those are the kind of women we looked up to. People gave us a lot of backlash because our parents weren’t wrestlers, we didn’t come from a wrestling background but we didn’t care, we didn’t take no for an answer. We decided this is what we wanted and nothing was going to stop us. We learned that from the strong women in our family.
‘LLERO: Anything else you want to add?
Nicole and Brie: Tune into Total Divas to see you favorite Latinas!
For more info visit Total Divas.
Photos provided by WWE