Rumors of Paige returning to WWE have followed nearly every major event since she left AEW. This time, though, the timing appears very real.
The former AEW Women’s World Champion is reportedly expected to step into Nikki’s place alongside Brie Bella in Saturday’s Women’s Tag Team Championship match.
According to PWInsider (via Sports Illustrated), Paige has already signed a new multi-year deal with WWE and was spotted rehearsing for the match ahead of the show.
If the plan holds, she would join Brie Bella in the four-way title bout against champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend, plus the teams of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
Previously, Paige openly admitted she wanted back in the ring. During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, the former WWE star said she missed “being in the locker room” and wanted to rediscover the version of herself fans saw during her early NXT run. She said her neck is healthy again and that she had already started thinking seriously about training for a comeback.
“My career was cut short with the neck, but now my neck is healthy. I’m in full health. I want to start training again,” Paige said. “I want to get in the ring and bring back the Paige that I was in NXT.”
She added that she planned to spend time training with Natalya at the Hart Family Dungeon to “get the ring rust off.”
That makes this potential return especially notable. WWE ruled Paige medically unable to compete in 2018 following a series of neck injuries that forced her into retirement.
Four years later, she resurfaced in AEW under her real name, Saraya, and eventually captured the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In in London in 2023.
There is also a layer of history to the match itself. Nikki and Brie Bella’s most memorable WrestleMania tag match came at WrestleMania 31, where they faced AJ Lee and Paige.
