The night after WrestleMania is usually a time of new beginnings but on the April 9 edition of Monday Night RAW it saw the end of a career for one of WWE's greatest performers. WWE's youngest ever Diva's champion and first Women's NXT Champion Paige addressed the New Orleans crowd on RAW to announce her retirement from in-ring competition after just four years in the company. She is just 25-years-old.
In her speech, Paige opened up about her neck injury and how hard it was to sit on the sidelines during WrestleMania. She thanked Daniel Bryan for his inspiration and courage to fight to return to in-ring competition, and praised WWE Hall of Famer Edge for showing her that there is life after being in the ring. Paige also thanked the wrestlers in the women's division for bringing it to the heights it is now and said she's never been prouder to have competed with them.
The speech prompted WWE fans and members of the roster to praise the former Diva's Champion using the hashtag, ThankYouPaige.
Can’t even put into words how thankful I am for you @RealPaigeWWE ... you have taught me so much in such a short period of time, from Tough Enough to now. Love you and thank you 🙏🏻♥️ #ThankYouPaige
— Mandy (@WWE_MandyRose) April 10, 2018
She is a star & I can’t wait to see what she does next. Love you so much!! @RealPaigeWWE #ThankYouPaige
— 🌺 (@NiaJaxWWE) April 10, 2018
You’ve done so much for women’s wrestling at such a young age and accomplished so much @RealPaigeWWE . This is heartbreaking. #ThankYouPaige
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) April 10, 2018
Paige's retirement speech is especially bittersweet because it was done in the same building where she made her WWE debut back in 2014. Paige interrupted then Diva's Champion AJ Lee after WrestleMania 30, which prompted Lee to challenge her for the belt on RAW. Paige agreed and surprised everyone by pinning the champ and walking out as the new title holder.
She came to do what no one else would...
— WWE (@WWE) April 10, 2018
New Orleans holds a special place for @RealPaigeWWE as it's the same place she made her #RAW DEBUT and WON the #DivasTitle! #ThankYouPaige pic.twitter.com/xO1mUsaICi
Paige returned to WWE following a long absence in November 2017 when she united Mandy Rose and Sonya DeVille to form Absolution. Soon after she would aggravate her neck injury during a house show against Sasha Banks in December, shelving her from in-ring competition. Instead, Paige would become Absolution's manager.
What Paige's next step in the WWE is unclear but we wish her all the best.
What is your favorite Paige memory in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Phillip Martinez is a game and culture reporter for Newsweek. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2018, he was a reporter ... Read more
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