Nia Jax is not Carmella's biggest fan right now.
The WWE stars haven't yet entered the ring for their Royal Rumble match in this clip from Tuesday's Total Divas premiere, but conflict between them is already neck-in-neck.
To be honest, the contention is primarily coming from Nia, who tells fellow WWE superstar Tamina, "I just want to get this Rumble over with," backstage at the arena.
As the athlete and model goes on to explain, Nia's hesitation regarding the big-league wrestling event is mostly rooted in sour feelings about Carmella—and more specifically, her perceived attitude about sustaining injuries on the job. "I feel as though Carmella has kind of strayed away from what we're trying to express to the world…that we're more than eye candy," Nia shares, referencing the WWE's increasingly recognized women's division during a confessional interview.
Continuing, she points out that "women's wrestling has come so far"—having made especially meaningful strides in terms of visibility these last few years—and getting there hasn't been easy. "We sacrifice our bodies day in, day out," Nia says, noting that Carmella appears to be "afraid of getting hurt" in the ring.
"In this industry where we put our bodies on the line and it happens…sometimes we get hurt, sometimes we get hit…I just don't have any respect for somebody who's always shying away from it," she finishes.
Venting to Divas veteran Nattie Neidhart in a dressing room nearby, Nia's soon-to-be opponent can tell something is wrong, she's just not sure what exactly.
"I wish I could even have an idea in my head of why [Nia] would be feeling like this. Like, I could be like, 'Oh, maybe it was because of that thing that happened that one time,'" reflects Carmella, having observed the palpable tension coming from her co-star. "But I have no possible answer. I don't know what's going on."
Hear both women out in the clip above!