WWE Superstar Paige Officially Retires as an In-Ring Performer
In an emotional speech to the post-Wrestlemania Raw crowd, WWE Superstar Paige confirmed that she will be retiring from wrestling due to injury.
The Monday Night Raw immediately after Wrestlemania is the most watched and anticipated Raw of the year, with the audience eagerly awaiting the returns of old performers, like Bobby Lashley and Jeff Hardy, and to see which NXT stars are making their debuts, like Ember Moon, No Way Jose, and the Authors of Pain. But last night's Raw also included a moment that fans didn't want to see, the retirement of popular star Paige.
25-year-old Saraya-Jade Bevis is considered by many to be the instigator of the current WWE Women's Evolution, but unfortunately she's been unable to reap the benefits due to being inactive for most of the changes in the division. Suspensions from failed drug tests and a neck injury have kept Paige out of the ring for quite some time. Returning to the ring a few months ago after recovering from neck surgery, Paige was re-injured during a house show in New York, being kicked in the back by Sasha Banks. This wasn't the first time Paige and Banks had performed this spot, but something went wrong this time.
Since then, Paige has remained on the outside of the ring, acting as a manager for her stable, Absolution, and unable to compete in the first Women's Royal Rumble. Taking the mic last night at Raw, Paige said its been hard to stay on the sidelines, but she wanted to be honest with the fans and confirm her retirement. With Daniel Bryan's recent medical clearance after being told he'd never wrestle again, reports were that Paige was hoping for a similar outcome, but as her injury is neck-related and Bryan's was concussion-related, there's little chance of that happening. During her speech, Paige thanked WWE Hall of Famer Edge, who also retired from a similar injury, that there's life after retirement.
Paige's retirement comes at such an unfortunate time with a Dwayne Johnson produced movie about her family being heavily advertised by WWE, and news that the company plans for next year's Wrestlemania to be the first headlined by a women's match.