Paige Returns to WWE to Replace the Injured Nikki Bella, Wins Women's Tag Team Titles

She's back!

Paige, also known as Saraya, brought down her house at WrestleMania 42 when she made her long-awaited return to the company inside of Allegiant Stadium Saturday night.

Reports of her appearing on the show first circulated on Friday morning, and those sources turned out to be quite reliable as the former WWE Divas Champion and AEW Women's Champion was introduced as a surprise competitor in the Women's Tag Team Title Fatal 4-Way Match.

PAIGE IS BACK!!!!! 💜

WHAT A WRESTLEMANIA MOMENT!! pic.twitter.com/3ey0qK3G4o
— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2026

Nia Jax and Lash Legend were set to defend their titles against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, Bayley & Lyra Valkyria and The Bella Twins, but Nikki Bella was unfortunately not cleared to work the match after she suffered an ankle injury a few weeks ago on SmackDown.

The WWE Hall of Famer introduced Paige herself, saying she called in an old friend to help with her sister Brie's WrestleMania moment. Nikki, however, wouldn't completely stay on the sidelines.

Near the end of the match, she would yank Charlotte Flair out of the ring and start hitting her with a crutch as Alexa Bliss was going for a Twisted Bliss. The distraction allowed Paige to get her knees up when Bliss did jump. She then blasted her with her finish to score the victory and win the Women's Tag Team Titles for Brie Bella and herself.

Paige returned to a WWE ring for the first time in nearly a decade

AJ Lee and Paige at WrestleMania 31 | WWE.com

WrestleMania 42 marked the first time that Paige had competed in a WWE ring since she suffered, what was believed to be at the time, a career-ending neck injury during a holiday tour show on December 27, 2017.

She would stay with WWE for the next few years as a non-active, on-screen character, including a brief tenure as the SmackDown General Manager and as the manager for Asuka and Kairi Sane when they first debuted as the Kabuki Warriors.

Paige's contract with WWE expired in June 2022, right around the time that she was attempting to get cleared for an in-ring return. She would go on to make her debut for rival All Elite Wrestling that September, performing under her legal name of Saraya.

During her three years with the company, Saraya experienced varying levels of success. She oftentimes found herself frustrated by her in-ring performances, and even admitted that sometimes she just wasn't giving her best effort. She vowed to put in the

Saraya captured her first world title in nearly nine years when she defeated Hikaru Shida, Toni Storm, and Dr. Britt Baker in a four-way match at All In London 2023 to become the AEW Women's Champion. Her biggest contribution to the company, however, came as a mentor to other competitors in the locker room, including Toni Storm, Ruby Soho and Harley Cameron.

AEW President Tony Khan and she worked out a separation agreement this past spring, and she had been on the free agent market ever since.

She wanted to take the rest of 2025 off from wrestling in order to pursue outside projects, but had the goal of coming back to the sport at some point, vowing to get herself back into peak ring shape before that would happen.

One person who will unquestionably be thrilled to have Paige back in WWE is her long-time frenemy AJ Lee.

"She's so talented and I knew it from day one. We'd always joke that I was her fairy godmother and I just took her under my wing and tried to protect her," Lee told The Takedown on SI when asked about a potential Paige return ahead of WrestleMania. "She would be a great addition to this locker room. I think this place has really come a long way and the women work together so beautifully, and they're so supportive. I would love for her to experience just how fun it is now."

Lee will be making her own return to WrestleMania tonight, when she defends her Women's Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch. We'll have the result of that match covered here on The Takedown on SI.

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