From the WWE Rumor Mill: Reason behind WWE appointing Paige as SmackDown Live General Manager

What’s the story?

On a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a possible reason behind Paige being appointed as SmackDown Live’s General Manager was revealed.

Apparently, the WWE accorded Paige the aforementioned role, owing to the fact that a highly-awaited Hollywood production based on Paige’s life is set to be released in the months to come.

In case you didn’t know…

Paige, whose real name is Saraya-Jade Bevis, competed in the sport right from her early-teenage years up until she suffered a career-ending neck injury at the hands of Sasha Banks at a WWE house show in late-2017.

Paige officially announced her retirement from in-ring competition on the RAW after WrestleMania 34, and it was on the following night’s SmackDown Live episode (April 10th, 2018) that Shane McMahon revealed Paige to be the blue brand’s new GM.

The heart of the matter

One ought to note that for a better part of 2017, the professional wrestling community was abuzz regarding rumors of Paige possibly being fired from WWE in light of a few leaked photos/videos featuring Paige being released on the internet a few months ago.

However, The Observer shot down the aforementioned rumors last year—asserting that WWE do not intend to release Paige, especially considering the much-awaited biopic regarding her set to release sooner rather than later.

Reiterating the same, it’s now being reported that the primary reason behind WWE booking Paige to portray the role of SmackDown Live’s on-screen General Manager, is due to the movie “Fighting With My Family”—which is scheduled to be released early next year.

Fighting With My Family is being produced primarily by WWE Studios and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions—and chronicles the personal and professional life of Saraya-Jade Bevis aka WWE’s Paige.

Furthermore, it’s being emphasized that Paige being appointed as the SmackDown Live GM will in turn lead to more airtime and exposure for her on TV—as it wouldn’t make sense for WWE to potentially damage the movie by releasing Paige or having her be off-screen due to injury issues.

What’s next?

Fighting With My Family is set to release in the United States on March 1st, 2019.

The vast majority of professional wrestling experts believe that Paige is set to essay the role of SmackDown Live’s GM up until the release of her biopic next year.

Author’s take

Paige is an incredible talent, and one of the most selfless people in the professional wrestling business today.

All signs point to the fact that WWE does indeed recognize the talent and passion that Paige brings to the table, which in turn could benefit both—her and WWE—as she continues to don different hats for the world’s premier sports-entertainment company in the years to come.

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