Nikki Bella vs. Carmella: Winner and Reaction from WWE No Mercy 2016

Nikki Bella got revenge on rival Carmella on Sunday night at WWE No Mercy, defeating the former NXT standout in a grudge match.

Nikki thanked the crowd after registering the win, via WWE Universe:

Kevin Berge of Bleacher Report and Michael Killam of WrestleZone.com provided their initial takes on the match:

"

That was not too bad. Carmella working a known weak spot, nice transitions into her finisher, good intensity. Smackdown women coming along.

— Michael Killam (@MikeKillam) October 10, 2016"

Nikki later tweeted about the win:

The rivalry between Nikki and Carmella began at SummerSlam on Aug. 21, when the longest-reigning Divas champion of all time made a surprise return from a neck injury to replace Eva Marie and team with Natalya and Alexa Bliss in a six-woman tag team match against Carmella, Naomi and Becky Lynch.

Nikki was triumphant, as she pinned Carmella, which didn't sit well with The Princess of Staten Island in the following weeks.

Prior to what was supposed to be a match between the two Superstars, Carmella attacked Nikki and left her lying in the middle of the ring.

The assault continued when Carmella jumped Nikki while she was taking part in an interview on WWE Network's Talking Smack.

Further heat was added to their feud when Carmella eliminated Nikki in the Six-Pack Challenge to determine the first-ever SmackDown women's champion at Backlash on Sept. 11.

Nikki hoped to gain retribution for everything Carmella had done to her, and she was excited about the opportunity to get it at No Mercy when their match was officially announced:

While Nikki wanted to give Carmella a taste of her own medicine, the self-professed hottest chick in the ring had crueler intentions:

Nikki's career was in jeopardy because of her neck injury, and it was uncertain whether she would ever return to the ring again prior to her comeback at SummerSlam.

Carmella's desire to end Nikki once and for all added overtones to their rivalry, and it made for an intense affair at No Mercy.

Although there was no title on the line, every match is important in SmackDown's women's division when it comes to building credibility and potentially earning a shot at the belt down the line.

Sunday's match was also significant since Nikki was trying to re-establish herself as the woman to beat in WWE, while Carmella hoped to score the biggest win of her career.

In the end, Nikki proved she still has what it takes to compete at the highest level, which means a run with the SmackDown Women's Championship may not be far behind.

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