Paige Talks Transitioning Into SmackDown Live General Manager Role

While making an appearance at BlackCraft Wrestling, SmackDown Live General Manager Paige spoke with Alicia Atout where she talked transitioning into her new role after being told she had to retire from professional wrestling due to a neck injury she suffered soon after returning to the ring.

Paige was first asked to discuss what it was like to learn she would have to give a retirement speech during RAW and then the night after learn she will be becoming the new General Manager for SmackDown Live after Daniel Bryan vacated the position to return to in-ring competition.

“It was a surprise for me too. I knew it was coming — a week prior to it they said, ‘Hey, this might happen.’ I lost my voice and they said, ‘If you don’t get your voice back to make this announcement, you won’t be doing it at all.’ I was drinking tea and trying my best to get my voice back.

“I got a text from one of the writers and they said, ‘You have to stay at SmackDown tomorrow.’ It was like putting salt in the wound. Just let me go home and cry. Once I turned up there, Road Dogg and the writers bombarded me and was like, ‘This is happening. Be quiet. No one knows.’ I was like, ‘Really? This is great.’ We walk out and it was great. I get goosebumps from the crowd. They’re so supportive. I thought it was the end of me. It wasn’t. It’s a beautiful beginning. I love what I do now.”

The former Divas Champion also explained how she feels bad for guys like Kurt Angle, as they get a lot of comments about messing up lines.

“You have try and remember so much. Which is why I understand Kurt (Angle) now, how some people mess with us all the time like, ‘They keep forgetting the line.’ Well you try to remember full frickin scripts in ten minutes. You forget stuff. And sometimes you’ll think about stuff too much and start tripping over your words. There is a lot to remember. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I’m like, ‘Leave me alone, I’m just starting this job, alright?'”

If Paige had one more match, who would you like it to be against? Do you enjoy her run as General Manager of SmackDown Live? Let us know in those comments down below.

With H/T to Fightful for the transcription.