Paige Admits She Didn’t Think WWE Would Ever Clear Her Before WrestleMania 42 Return

Paige’s shocking return at WrestleMania 42 almost didn’t happen — at least in her own mind.

After making her surprise comeback at WrestleMania 42 to help Brie Bella win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, Paige shared footage on April 21, 2026, showing the exact moment she found out WWE had medically cleared her to wrestle again. In the video, she admitted that leading up to that moment, she truly believed WWE would never allow her back in the ring.

The footage showed Paige reacting to the news and reflecting on the long road she took to reach that point, including personal struggles and the fear that her wrestling career was finished for good.

“Know. Yeah, I just got some great news. I am cleared to go home, back to WWE, so I'm very happy. And we got Chris over here. Had my back the entire time. But, yeah, I just, like, got overrun with emotion because I was like, it's just been a long road for me, dude. Just trying to get sober and, you know, putting the right people around me, and. And it's just. Just feels good.”

She then revealed the biggest fear weighing on her mind before getting the official decision — that WWE would refuse to clear her for in-ring action.

“And I was stressing out. I was like, there's no way they're gonna let me wrestle again. There's no way. I was really stressed out.”

That admission adds major context to her WrestleMania 42 return, which came as a complete surprise to fans when she replaced Nikki Bella in the Women’s Tag Team Title match after Nikki suffered an ankle injury. Paige stepped into the match alongside Brie Bella and helped secure the victory, marking her first WWE in-ring appearance in years. The footage also showed how overwhelming the moment became once the decision was finalized, with Paige describing how tense she felt while waiting for the outcome.

“It's just. Yeah, it's great. It's good. It's good news. I can, like, breathe now. I was stressed. I was, like, shaking.”

Her comments make it clear that her WrestleMania comeback wasn’t just about stepping back into the spotlight — it was about overcoming years of uncertainty and finally proving to herself that a return was still possible. Now that Paige has confirmed she once believed WWE would never clear her again, her WrestleMania 42 return carries even more emotional weight than fans initially realized.

Do you think Paige’s return was the start of a full comeback run, or should WWE keep her appearances limited moving forward? Let us know what you think.

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