Bill Simmons went viral on social media after attending WWE Raw on Monday night when fans spotted him in the background on television while Nikki Bella was being introduced on Netflix.
Newly-single Bella, 41, glamorously dressed in a low-cut red strapless top and matching trousers, was shown on the broadcast and gave the cameras a dance before blowing a kiss and waving.
But sat in the background was Simmons, and fans spotted the sports analyst trying not to look at the WWE Hall of Famer Bella as she danced away.
‘Why is he staring into the abyss at the end like a serial killer,’ one fan wrote on X in response to the viral clip.
Another said: ‘Veteran discipline. Billy locked in not to get got on TV and have us meme him. Nice work.’
‘My guy was LOCKED IN eyes straight ahead once he caught the camera,’ a different fan wrote about the clip.
Bill Simmons went viral for staring ahead while Nikki Bella danced for the cameras at WWE
The glamorous WWE star, 41, was introduced on 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 sat with his son Ben at the event. He and his wife Kari have two kids together.
Bella, meanwhile, was in WWE for 15 years, retiring in 2022 after her career alongside her sister Brie – with the sisters competing as ‘The Bella Twins’.
Her appearance on Monday in California was also one of her first major public events since her divorce last year from the ballroom dancer Artem Chigvintsev.
The split was finalized amid Chigvintsev getting arrested for allegations of domestic violence in August after an apparent incident with Bella in Napa, California. The following week, they both filed for divorce.
But after their split was complete, the allegations were dropped. The couple have a four-year-old son, Mateo.
Bella – real name Nikki Garcia – had a representative tell US Weekly last November: ‘Nikki and Artem have settled their divorce and will not be going to court.
‘Both parties decided to drop the domestic violence restraining orders against each other in an effort to move on with their lives and effectively coparent their son.
‘Nikki’s number one priority has always been her son and privacy on the matter. She is thankful for all of the love and support she has received during this difficult time.’