During Saturday’s WWE WrestleMania 42 Night One event, a Fatal 4-Way Match took place for the Women’s Tag Team Championship.
In a surprising turn, WWE veteran Paige returned to replace an injured WWE Hall of Famer, Nikki Bella. Paige teamed up with fellow Hall of Famer Brie Bella, and together they won the championship in a match that also featured The Irresistible Force, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, as well as Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, the original plan was for The Bella Twins to win the titles. Paige’s involvement did not ultimately change the outcome of the match. Meltzer noted that when WWE brought Brie back, the intention was for the two of them to win the titles, considering that Nikki had already completed her singles run.
Meltzer added that with Nikki under contract, the idea was to have Brie join her for a nostalgia run as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions—a title that didn’t exist during their previous time in WWE. When Nikki suffered her injury, Paige was seen as a suitable backup.
Paige has reportedly signed a multi-year contract with WWE. As for Nikki, she revealed on Monday that she is expected to be out for six to eight weeks due to a tear, fracture, and sprain in her ankle. PWInsider.com reports that Nikki underwent surgery on her ankle two weeks before WrestleMania.
