MSFT SPOTLIGHT: WWE’S PAIGE

If you know, you know. And if you don’t know, then prepare to be OBSESSED. Because today we’re shining the MSFT spotlight on the icon, the legend…the one & effing only: PAIGE (!!!)

AKA Saraya-Jade Bevis

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As you might remember around this time last year, a little movie called Fighting With My Family hit the big screen. And it was the life of WWE superstar Paige & her wrestling dynasty of a fam that the film was all about. 

In typical form, despite wanting to see it SO badly for SO long, I finally got the chance to watch it this past weekend. But go big or go home- because after not just one but two viewings & a box of tissues later, I knew this blog had to happen.

Now, between the movie, the original documentary it was based on & lots of other top-notch mini features, there’s a ton of material out there that gives the rundown of her incredible life story. Although in a nutshell, we’re talking about someone who went from being a goth girl in small-town England, to signing with the WWE & moving to America at 18 years old, to becoming the youngest person EVER to win the WWE Divas Championship title just three years later—on her very first try, no less!

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So needless to say, Paige is a badass if there ever was one. But the thing is, that all was just the start.

For the next two or three years, she had a killer wrestling career. She became an instant fan-favorite, helped kickstart what came to be known as the Women’s Revolution (where female wrestlers in the WWE were finally taken more seriously), & unfortunately had to have three screws put into her neck as a result of a ~gnarly~ injury that took her out of the ring for a hot portion of 2016 & 2017. 

And as if *that* wasn’t enough, she has openly talked about how rough of a patch that recovery time grew into as well. Not only was she unable to wrestle (i.e. her life’s passion), but she also fell into a major bout of “rock bottom” depression & anorexia after hackers leaked some explicit videos of her to the online world.

Though, after a chance encounter with a young fan in a Texas grocery store who (of course) had no idea about the tapes, her perspective – like many of her opponents – was totally flipped on its head. 

“I thought, what am I doing? I need to be successful for her. My whole journey was supposed to be about inspiring people,” she said. 

From there she snapped out of it, & actually even returned to the ring at the end of 2017. However, after another brutal impact injury to the neck (& narrowly escaping paralyzation while at it), she was tragically forced to officially retire in April of 2018.

Of course, that’s been far from the end of her road, too! Since then she’s stayed busy, continuing to appear as part of various WWE storylines, serving as a commentator on WWE Backstage, running her own clothing/cosmetic lines, bopping around with her boyfriend Ronnie Radke (yes, the one from Escape the Fate/Falling In Reverse) & overall, just living her best life. 

Image Source: @realpaigewwe

So in the end, Paige is someone who embodies the best of the best behind what it means to be a MSFT. Not comparing yourself to anyone else, remaining strong through the hardest of hard times, having prevailing dedication to the things that inspire/fuel your core, & most of all- staying true to yourself to the end.

Even when that truth is being a goth freak from a small town with an incredibly loving, yet endearingly bat-shit crazy family.

So cheers to Paige! And if you haven’t seen Fighting With My Family, seriously, go watch it RIGHT NOW. 

Just don’t forget the tissues.

xxAA

(( pictures within feature image from WWE.com & @realpaigewwe ))

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