WWE cut Paige’s promo from the August 14 episode of SmackDown — then turned around and posted the exact segment online after the show was already over. That decision didn’t sit well with fans, especially since the unaired Paige segment lasted roughly one minute.
Paige was listed on an early SmackDown rundown for a promo tied to her feud with Nikki Bella. When the August 14 SmackDown actually aired, that promo was cut completely. Paige never got the television time, and she later reacted to women having segments cut from the show. Then, after SmackDown went off the air, WWE posted the cut promo on social media anyway.
Fans immediately questioned how WWE couldn’t find one minute during a two-hour broadcast for a segment the company clearly still wanted people to see. One fan pointed out that Paige wasn’t the only woman whose material was left off the show.
“This and Blake Monroe segment not making SmackDown is criminal. Y’all didn’t have 2-3 extra minutes?”
Another fan had the same problem with WWE cutting such a short piece of television.
“You’re telling me this 1 minute video package couldn’t have made it the 2 hour show…”
The criticism got even louder from fans who saw the cut as another example of WWE squeezing women’s segments off television. One fan directly called out Triple H, while another asked why viewers watching SmackDown live weren’t allowed to see it.
“Y’all hate the women’s division, just admit it @TripleH. Y’all could’ve aired this live….”
The promo itself moved Paige’s story with Nikki Bella forward. Paige accused Nikki of rewriting history, rejected the idea that Nikki revitalized her career and reminded her that she spent eight years working to get back to WWE.
“Nikki, since you decided to try and rewrite history last week, let’s set the record straight. You said that you single-handedly revitalized my career. Well, last time I checked, I don’t remember you being there by my side when I was working tirelessly every single day for eight years just to get back to WWE.”
That’s what has fans annoyed. WWE didn’t abandon the promo. They didn’t scrap the storyline. They simply cut Paige from the live SmackDown broadcast, then uploaded the missing footage once the show was over.
For fans watching at home, that made the whole thing look even worse. WWE had the segment ready, it advanced an active storyline and it lasted about a minute — but Paige still got cut from television.
Do you think WWE should have found one minute on Smack Down for Paige’s promo instead of cutting it and posting it afterward? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
