WWE had Paige’s promo ready to go on the August 14 episode of SmackDown, but it got cut before making television. According to PWInsider, the segment was pulled from the broadcast for “logistical reasons,” even though WWE still released the footage online after the show.
PWInsider didn’t spell out exactly what those logistical reasons were, but timing could easily be part of the problem. SmackDown recently moved from three hours back to two, meaning WWE suddenly has one less hour every week to squeeze in matches, promos and backstage segments. WWE has recently been posting an above-average number of segments after SmackDown that were filmed but cut from the actual television broadcast.
Paige’s promo was one of them. She was listed on the rundown to address Nikki Bella, but WWE cut the segment from the show. Paige then took to social media and made it pretty clear she wasn’t thrilled about women having their television time chopped.
WWE eventually posted the cut footage online after SmackDown ended. In the promo, Paige ripped Nikki for trying to rewrite their history, accused her of being jealous and made it clear their feud is far from over.
So this wasn’t WWE dropping the storyline or deciding the promo wasn’t worth using. The segment was filmed, it was part of the plan, and then it was cut from SmackDown for logistical reasons before being dumped online afterward.
With SmackDown back down to two hours, WWE has less television time to work with, and lately more material has been getting pushed off the broadcast. Paige just happened to be the one who openly called attention to it.
What do you think about WWE cutting Paige’s promo from SmackDown and then posting it online after the show? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
