Paige is hearing plenty of criticism about her WWE comeback, and it’s not just coming from people watching at home. The former Divas Champion has revealed that other wrestlers and people backstage have been pushing her to bring back the version of herself that made her a star more than a decade ago.
While speaking to Tommy Dreamer on Busted Open Radio, Paige opened up about her physical condition following her match against Kelani Jordan on WWE NXT. Dreamer praised her improved speed, muscular physique, and overall performance, pointing out that she appeared much closer to the Paige who originally made her name in NXT.
When asked what she had been doing differently, Paige credited eight years of sobriety and a renewed commitment to staying in shape. She admitted that drinking had previously affected her conditioning and that she had to make some serious adjustments after returning to wrestling.
“Well, you know, I’ve been sober, which really helps for eight years, you know, and I think drinking and stuff like that really slowed me down. And then I kind of lost myself a little bit in the mix of that. And then when I came back, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m coming back.’ Like, I have to really like, you know, focus.”
Paige explained that she has been concentrating on her diet and cardio, even practicing counting while running on the treadmill to prepare for the physical demands of wrestling. However, she also acknowledged that her performances weren’t quite where she wanted them to be when she first returned.
That’s when Paige revealed that the criticism wasn’t limited to people outside WWE. According to her, fellow wrestlers and people backstage have been openly telling her they want the old Paige back. She believes her latest NXT performance was an important step toward proving she can still perform at that level.
“And I’ve had fans and other wrestlers and backstage being like, ‘We need the old page back. We need the old page.’ And I think this kind of gave me the boot up the ass I needed today. And so I felt like I was definitely quicker on my feet. And I I’m nearly to the old page that I was. But yeah, I just uh I blame my sobriety and cardio mostly.”
The admission comes after Paige returned to an NXT ring for the first time in more than 12 years. Although she lost to Kelani Jordan, she described the match as one of her most enjoyable experiences since returning to WWE and praised their chemistry inside the ring.
Paige clearly knows that people are comparing her current performances to what she was capable of during her original WWE run. Rather than dismissing the criticism, she’s using it as motivation. And if her latest NXT match is any indication, she believes she’s getting closer to proving that the old Paige is still there.
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Do you think Paige is finally getting back to her old wrestling form, or does she still have more work to do? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
