Bill Simmons went viral on social media after attending WWE Raw on Monday night, when fans spotted him in the background on television as Nikki Bella was introduced on Netflix.
Newly single Bella, 41, glamorously dressed in a low-cut red strapless top and matching trousers, appeared on the broadcast and made the cameras dance before giving a kiss and waving.
But in the background was Simmons, and fans saw the sports analyst trying not to look at WWE Hall of Famer Bella as she danced away.
“Why is he staring into the abyss like a serial killer at the end,” a fan wrote on X in response to the viral clip.
Another said: ‘Veteran discipline. Billy locked himself away from being on TV and letting us make a meme of him. Nice work.’
“My husband was sitting with his eyes straight ahead when he caught the camera,” another fan wrote about the clip.
Bill Simmons went viral for staring into space as Nikki Bella danced for the cameras at WWE
The glamorous WWE star, 41, was introduced during the Netflix broadcast of WWE RAW
The “Sports Fails” account BricksCenter also posted the clip and joked, “Bill Simmons was fighting for his life.”
Simmons, 55, appeared to be at the event with his son Ben. He and his wife Kari have two children together.
Bella, meanwhile, spent 15 years in the WWE, retiring in 2022 after her career alongside her sister Brie – with the sisters competing as ‘The Bella Twins’.
Her appearance Monday in California was also one of her first major public events since her divorce from ballroom dancer Artem Chigvintsev last year.
The split was finalized when Chigvintsev was arrested in August on domestic violence charges following an apparent incident with Bella in Napa, California. The following week they both filed for divorce.
But after their split was finalized, the charges were dropped. The couple has a four-year-old son, Mateo.
Bella – real name Nikki Garcia – told US Weekly through a representative last November: ‘Nikki and Artem have settled their divorce and will not go to court.
“Both parties decided to drop the domestic violence bans against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively co-parent their son.
“Nikki’s first priority has always been her son and privacy in this matter. She is grateful for all the love and support she has received during this difficult time.”