Top 5 opponents for Paige's WWE return

There are rumours circulating that injured WWE Superstar Paige is currently set to return to action fairly soon and could even be involved in the Survivor Series pay-per-view.

Paige has been out of action since receiving a severe neck injury and has been prominent in posting pictures from her rehab, thanking several currently active WWE Superstars for helping her train at the WWE Performance Centre.

Her return is hotly anticipated not only because of the controversy surrounding her activities outside of the ring but also because she's a phenomenal wrestling talent who was dominant in NXT, captured the Diva's title in her first main roster match, and became the only woman to hold the NXT Women's Title and main roster Women's Title at the same time.

So it goes without saying that her return has got a lot of people excited, but who will Paige feud with when she steps foot into a WWE ring again, and why? Here are the top five potential return opponents and story-lines for Paige's WWE return.

---

#5 Bayley

Will Paige ruin Bayley's moment?

The rumour circulating on the internet is that Paige will return on Monday Night RAW and somehow find her way onto the RAW Traditional Survivor Series women's team.

However, to do that, Paige would have to rob that spot and opportunity away from bubbly babyface Bayley, who has been trying for the last few weeks to earn a spot on the team but has been spurned time and time again by captain Alicia Fox.

If Paige does indeed return on Monday Night RAW, she can enter the Triple Threat match between Dana Brooke, Mickie James and Baylet for the final spot, making it a Fatal Fourway. Alternatively, Bayley could win that match, but ends up getting gazumped by a returning Paige.

This could then lead to Bayley feuding with Paige over the latter being given a spot that she didn't earn and hadn't been working hard for during the past few weeks. This would be an interesting first feud for Paige's return as she and Bayley are almost complete opposites in terms of personality and in-ring style.

#4 Nia Jax

Could Paige take it upon herself to topple Nia Jax?

If Paige returned against Bayley, she'd almost certainly be a heel. However, if you put Paige up against the incredibly dominant and imposing Nia Jax, Paige would be a babyface.

Before she left, Paige was adamant that WWE was "her house." However, now that Nia Jax has also returned from a hiatus, she might be keen to establish that she's the unstoppable female wrestler who owns the division.

It would be a typical 'David vs Goliath' situation with Jax using her size and stature to dominate the smaller, diminutive Paige. It would be a great way to get Paige over, giving her 'Daniel Bryan-esque' booking where, despite her size, she is able to overcome the odds.

#3 Alexa Bliss and the AJ Lee connection

What if Paige repeats history and treats Alexa Bliss like AJ Lee

Paige's first ever match on the main roster was against AJ Lee, where the then current Diva's champion disrespected her and challenged her to a match. Paige managed to shock AJ Lee and give her some sort of comeuppance for her actions by beating her and winning the WWE Diva's title.

Alexa Bliss' title run has been somewhat similar to AJ Lee's, with the heel champion humiliating a large number of babyfaces and then beating them in the ring, going against typical story-telling conventions in which the bad guy gets what they deserve.

Alexa Bliss is sorely in need to being put in her place, just like AJ Lee, so what if the WWE repeats history and has Paige return and confront Bliss, challenging her to a title match and winning the title off of Bliss in her first match back.

#2 Asuka

Paige could go after the 'Undertaker Wrestlemania streak' of the women's division.

This feud and story-line should be pretty self-explanatory — Asuka has gone unbeaten for a significant amount of time in the WWE, and Paige, who wants to establish that the WWE is indeed "her house", could attempt to be the one to end that streak.

The matches, if there are more than one, would be pretty top-notch with the flamboyant and athletic Asuka going up against the grounded and all-black Paige, not to mention that both women are excellent in-ring talents.

Now, I don't know if Paige should be the one to end Asuka's unbeaten streak, but I also can't think of any reasons why she shouldn't be the one when it eventually happens.

#1 Charlotte

Charlotte vs Flair could steal the show!

Paige comes from an extensive wrestling lineage in the UK with the Knight family being a mainstay of British wrestling for years now. Charlotte's heritage speaks for itself with her father obviously being "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair.

Family lineage and wrestling heritage are important story-telling tools in professional wrestling, and they can be used again to tell a story for Paige's return, just in case she does re-debut on SmackDown LIVE, as unlikely as it seems.

Paige could return and insult Charlotte's family, make derogatory comments towards Ric Flair and voila! You've got yourself a vicious feud based on family ties. Besides, who doesn't want to see Paige vs Charlotte?

---

Send us news tips at [email protected]