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WWE star Paige is celebrating her 27th birthday today, and the former in-ring great has posted a message on Twitter thanking all of her supporters for the birthday messages.
Paige has had a whirlwind career in WWE, making a major name for herself on the NXT brand before making an even bigger name for herself on the main roster and winning two titles in the company.
Paige's in-ring career was tragically cut short when she suffered an injury during a match which resulted in WWE doctors unable to clear her to compete again.
Most recently, Paige noted on social media that she underwent another neck surgery as a result of her lingering neck issues, which is why the former Champion can be seen sporting a neck brace in the above photo posted on social media.
Given that today is Paige's birthday today, let's take a look at five things you don't know about the former SmackDown Live General Manager.
#5 Paige used to be managed by Becky Lynch
Prior to signing with WWE, Paige worked for Shimmer Women Athletes, and what might come as a surprise to fans, she was managed by current WWE star and Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch.
Lynch at the time was working under the name Rebecca Knox, and she managed the team of Paige and Paige's mother Saraya Knight, who competed as the tag team The Knight Dynasty.
Years later, Becky Lynch and Paige would find themselves both signed by WWE and competing on the NXT brand, and the two obviously went on to have great main roster success as Champions, with Paige at one time holding the now-defunct WWE Divas Championship. Lynch and Paige have yet to team up on WWE TV, but with Paige now retired as an in-ring wrestler, perhaps she could return the favor and manage Becky Lynch at some point.
#4 Paige did not succeed in her initial WWE try out
Paige officially signed with WWE back in September of 2011, after having a try out with the company and impressing officials.
However, it might come as a surprise to fans to know that Paige previously tried out for WWE in 2010, and was not signed after the first try out.
Back in 2010, a WWE talent scout saw Paige perform at an event in England, and informed her there would be a try out coming up with WWE, and Paige was invited to try out for the company. Despite failing the first try out, Paige got another shot a year later and was eventually signed by the company.
After getting signed by WWE, the company assigned Paige to the NXT brand, and she actually debuted under the ring name Saraya, which is her real name. Her ring name was later changed to Paige, and she made her televised debut on a February 2011 episode of Florida Championship Wrestling, which was the previous name of NXT and WWE's developmental territory.
Paige went on to have much success when FCW was re-branded as NXT, and became the first-ever NXT Women's Champion before being called up to the WWE main roster in 2014.
#3 Paige technically wrestled her first match as a fetus
Paige hails from the famous Knight family based out of the UK, a family which spans multiple generations in the wrestling business and is very well known in England.
Paige's mother is the famous British wrestler "Sweet" Saraya Knight, and Paige has made it well known that her mother unknowingly wrestled while she was pregnant with Paige, thus making Paige's first match when she was an unborn baby.
Because she grew up in a household filled with professional wrestlers, as her brothers are also in the family business, Paige was initially afraid of wrestling when she was young. This is because she did not like the idea of her family fighting for a living, nor did she like all of the injuries she saw her family members sustain throughout their careers in pro wrestling.
In the end, it is a tad bit ironic that Paige was initially afraid of injuries in pro wrestling, as it is a lingering neck injury which forced Paige into early retirement from in-ring action. Despite retirement, Paige remains active in WWE, previously working as the SmackDown Live GM and currently managing The Kabuki Warriors, as Paige was quite literally "born" to be a wrestler.
#2 Paige's favourite match type is the Submission Match
Paige has always been a very unique talent on the microphone, but she is equally adept in the ring and has often been praised for her in-ring style and innovation.
Of note, Paige is a big fan of the Submission Match, and particularly liked facing fellow WWE stars such as AJ Lee due to the unique submission holds talents like Lee possessed. Lee made the Black Widow hold famous in WWE, and it is a maneuver that Paige quite liked.
Interestingly enough, when Paige made her WWE main roster debut, she defeated AJ Lee in just 120 seconds to become the youngest Divas Champion in WWE history. Paige also joined a very elite club of superstars who won titles in their very first main roster match. Her impressive WWE Divas title win made even more history as she was also holding the WWE NXT Women's title at the time, making her the only WWE star to ever hold the NXT Women's title and the Divas title simultaneously.
In the biopic Fighting With My Family, which chronicles Paige's journey to becoming a WWE superstar, her NXT title win is oddly never mentioned in the film.
#1 Paige actually had her first pro wrestling match at the age of 13
Despite fearing wrestling as a child, Paige made the decision at the age of 10 that she wanted to become a pro wrestler, and formally began her wrestling training.
After training for three years, Paige made her pro wrestling debut at the age of 13, and she wrestled her first match under the ring name Britani Knight.
In another piece of interesting Paige trivia, her father actually came up with the wrestling name Britani for his daughter as her blonde hair as a child reminded her father of pop singer Britney Spears.
Paige's debut was for World Association of Wrestling, which was a company run by her family, who as mentioned has an extensive background in pro wrestling. Before signing with WWE back in 2011, Paige actually won numerous independent wrestling titles, as seen below:
- GSW Ladies Championship (1 time)
- HEW Women's Championship (2 times)
- PWF Ladies Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- Pro-Wrestling: EVE Championship (1 time)
- RDW Women's Championship (1 time)
- RQW Women's Championship (1 time)
- SCW Ladies Championship (1 time)
- WAWW British Ladies Championship (1 time)
- WAWW British Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- WAWW Ladies Hardcore Championship (1 time)
What is your favorite Paige moment during her time spent in WWE? Let us know in the comment section!
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
