Paige Says WWE Set Two Conditions For WrestleMania 42 Comeback

Paige has revealed the two conditions she needed to meet in order to make her WWE return, following her comeback at WrestleMania 42.

Speaking on What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon, Paige explained that WWE required her to be medically cleared and pass a drug test before any return could be finalised. She also detailed how an unexpected connection helped kickstart the process, crediting Jelly Roll for helping set up a meeting with Nick Khan.

“Within 30 minutes, Nick had said, ‘Sure, let’s get a meeting with her,’” Paige said, recalling how quickly discussions began.

During that meeting, Khan outlined the company’s requirements.

“Two things, your neck has to be okay and we have to do a drug test,” Paige said. “I was like, ‘Fair enough.’”

She noted that she had no concerns about the drug test, adding that she is now eight years sober, but admitted there was uncertainty around her neck given her previous injury history. After undergoing extensive medical testing, including a lengthy evaluation in Birmingham, Paige was ultimately cleared to compete again. She described the moment as emotional, having previously been forced to retire in 2017 due to neck issues.

“The fact that my neck was good… I had to retire before and miss out on so many things,” she said.

Paige Was Forced Into Early Retirement Due To A Neck Injury

Paige’s first WWE run ended following a medical disqualification due to a neck injury she suffered in 2017. She made her retirement announcement on the post-WrestleMania 34 episode of Raw on April 9, 2018. She returned to in-ring competition for AEW in 2022.

Her comeback was completed in time for WrestleMania 42, where she replaced Nikki Bella in the Women’s Tag Team Title match and teamed with Brie Bella to win the championships.