New WWE Rumors on Paige's Contract and Potential Return for WrestleMania amid Nikki Bella's Injury
Two-time Divas champion Paige has reportedly agreed to a deal to return to WWE ahead of this weekend's WrestleMania 42.
According to BodySlam.net (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Paige is signing a multi-year contract, with PWInsider.com (h/t Carrier) adding that she is expected to compete at WrestleMania as a replacement for the injured Nikki Bella.
Nikki has been nursing an ankle injury in recent weeks, and Paige was reportedly brought to Las Vegas this week in secret to participate in a walkthrough for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match.
Nia Jax and Lash Legend had been scheduled to defend their titles in a Fatal 4-Way against The Bella Twins, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria on Saturday's Night 1.
The Bella Twins were looking to become tag champs for the first time ever, but Brie Bella may now have to go after the titles with Paige rather than her twin sister.
In recent weeks, the WWE commentary team noted that Nikki was rehabbing an ankle ailment and hoped to be back in time for WrestleMania.
BodySlam.net (h/t Carrier) previously reported Friday that WWE was "optimistic" Nikki would be cleared to compete at WrestleMania, but that apparently won't be the case.
Paige, 33, initially signed with WWE in 2011, becoming the inaugural NXT women's champion in 2013 before getting called up to the main roster the following year.
The English Superstar had one of the most memorable main-roster debuts of all time, surprisingly challenging AJ Lee for the Divas Championship on Raw the night after WrestleMania 30, and beating her.
While Paige enjoyed enormous success in WWE, she also dealt with some devastating injuries, as a neck ailment cost her a year and a half of action from 2016 to 2017.
She re-injured her neck just weeks after returning to the ring, forcing her to medically retire from in-ring competition.
Paige spent the next several years in myriad roles for WWE, including serving as general manager of SmackDown and as manager for The Kabuki Warriors.
In 2022, Paige departed WWE when her contract expired, and she signed with AEW shortly thereafter. Upon arriving in AEW, Paige went by her real name, Saraya, and received medical clearance to return to the ring.
She spent about three years in AEW, winning the AEW Women's World Championship in her home country of England at All In: London in 2023.
After dropping the title to Hikaru Shida two months later, Paige saw her role in AEW diminish in subsequent months, leading to her departure in March 2025.
Now, Paige is set to return to the place where she enjoyed her greatest success, and given her time with The Bella Twins on the hit reality show Total Divas, she is a sensible replacement for Nikki at WrestleMania.
