Nikki Garcia Reveals What She Wants in a Man After Artem Chigvinstev Divorce

While dishing on with sister Brie Garcia and guest Rocsi Diaz on the latest episode of their The Nikki and Brie Show podcast, the retired professional wrestler dished on the eligible bachelors she came across in New Orleans over Super Bowl LIX weekend earlier this month.

While the trio noted there were many attractive men in the city for the big game, they were on the younger side. “Do we wanna train [younger men]? I want to be owned. I want my body rocked,” Nikki shared.

As for what she’s looking for in a man, Nikki said she’s looking for a little age and wisdom.

“Where’s the retired ones? The ones that have some wisdom, and age, and have experienced life a little bit?” she asked.

Brie and Diaz, meanwhile, advised her not to date anyone who is retirement age.

“I was gonna say, don’t do retired,” Brie weighed in as her sister agreed, “You’re right. No. I’ll just do it all. Do young. I’ll do retired.”

“Live in the moment,” Diaz suggested.

The pair, who share son Matteo, 4, met on Dancing With the Stars, and documented their love story, on and off television, including their August 2022 wedding in Paris.

But, following a domestic dispute last fall, the pair separated. Chigvintsev was arrested for domestic battery and booked on a felony domestic violence charge. He was released on bail the same day, and in September 2024, prosecutors declined to charge him.

The WWE Hall of Famer would go on to settle her divorce from the dance pro in November 2024 and has since been co-parenting with the her ex.

“Nikki and Artem have settled their divorce and will not be going to court,” Nikki’s rep told TMZ in a statement last fall. “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.”

The statement continued: “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.”

Reflecting on their split in an interview with Us Weekly last month, Nikki called the events that unfolded ahead of the former couple’s divorce “shocking.”

“Everything was very shocking, all of it. And I think that was a main reason why I knew I had to disconnect. I was in shock,” Nikki said. “You couldn’t have ever told me that this would’ve been the ending of my 2024 or my marriage — [I] wouldn’t have believed you. It takes a long time to process something. I needed that disconnection to process everything that happened.”

She said their “focus” has been Matteo, with Nikki saying the pair put aside their issues over Christmas to ensure he could have a normal holiday.

“We made sure we were both there when we baked Santa’s cookies. Matteo went to bed and we both were there when he woke up. Because he’s our focus, we want to keep those moments,” she revealed.

Despite everything she went through, the 41-year-old said she does not have regrets, adding that she believes “things happen for a reason,” and is still hopeful for love in the future.