Paige has certainly had an interesting 2016, after spending the last few years at the top of the Women’s Division holding the Divas Championship, this year is the first year that Paige has been in WWE without a playing a part in the Championship picture.
This year has also seen Paige suspended from the company twice but she has claimed that her doctor prescribed the medication that forced her to fail WWE’s drug test. However, the company have shot back at her to say that it was an illegal substance that she was suspended for.
Paige was initially suspended for 30 days on her birthday back in August, but after she became romantically involved with Alberto Del Rio, who was also suspended on the same day, Paige failed a second drug test and was then suspended for a another 60 days.
This 60-day suspension is up next week, but it is highly unlikely that the WWE Universe will be seeing Paige anytime soon. The former Divas Champion underwent neck surgery on October 19th and is thought to be out of action until mid-2017 as she recovers from the procedure.
The surgery itself was never signed off by WWE as their doctors stated that Paige didn’t need the surgery so they refused to put her forward for it. Alberto Del Rio then took to Social Media to share a text from Paige’s doctor who confirmed that it was needed.
Paige then went ahead with the surgery anyway and is currently recovering from the career-threatening procedure.
Add this to the fact that she appeared at a rival promotion a few months ago and proposed to Alberto Del Rio (who is still technically married) in the middle of the ring, and it was thought that the only reason WWE haven’t released her is because she is injured and they don’t want to be seen to be the kind of company that would release an injured superstar.
Paige will still have to pass another drug test when she returns to the company after failing two and if she fails a third then it is likely that WWE would release her anyway.
If the company even decides to take her back when she’s medically cleared to wrestle again. She has gone off the rails with Del Rio over the past few months and even though WWE has her contracted until 2019, they could easily decide to release her from her contract early.
Paige could plead that WWE said they would fire her if she didn’t break up with Del Rio though, which would easily put WWE in the firing line, but it depends if she wishes to remain with the company or make the switch to the independent circuit with her boyfriend.
Many believed that Paige was purposely failing recent tests so that WWE would release her from the company like they did with Alberto Del Rio back in October. The issue was that the former World Champion only signed a one-year deal and it was up in October anyway. Paige is signed with WWE until 2019 and her contract would be much harder to be released from.
Paige was the first ever NXT Women’s Champion and the first woman to hold both the NXT Championship and the Divas Championship at the same time. WWE even gave her the honour of winning the Divas Championship on her birthday at SummerSlam back in 2014. She was once well respected in the company and as hard as it will be for her to return, it seems like her best option.
Paige is just 24 years old, she has such potential moving forward if WWE will allow her to be a part of their bigger storylines again, and it isn’t worth her throwing all that away for a fling with a man who is still technically married to another woman.
It will be a long road back for Paige and she will definitely face some punishment for the way she has acted out over the past few months, but she needs to return to the company when she has recovered from her neck surgery and fight for her career. She is a talented wrestler and she has fought to be part of WWE her entire life, it isn’t worth giving all of that up now without a backup plan.
