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Inside WWE star Paige's journey from Divas champ to surviving a sex scandal and life-threatening injuries

July 7 will be Paige's last day with WWE. Here we look into the life the iconic wrestler has led so far

WWE superstar Paige, who also goes by Saraya-Jade Bevis, has announced her retirement from the organization after more than a decade. The decision, according to her, was not spontaneous, but rather in the process because she has been severely hurt in a particular match before. Deemed one of the most promising stars, she did not fail to shock the Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment with her star power and managed to stay in the race for a decade. Needless to say, the wrestler has a knack for staying in the headlines every now and then. Be it for her wrestling feats or her controversies. 

Paige last announced her in-ring retirement in 2018 after receiving a threatening neck injury in a six-woman tag team match at the hands of fellow wrestler Sasha Banks. She last competed inside of a WWE ring on December 27, 2017, in a live event where she suffered the injury. Ever since she retired, she has taken up roles with the company, both on and off-screen, most notably being the General Manager of SmackDown. But the superstar wrestler has always been in the news for something really weird - sex scandals! For two years straight, from 2017 to 2019, Paige was in and out of the news for her videos and intimate snaps being leaked. But the superstar came over the obstacle and is now in a happy relationship with the American singer-songwriter Ronnie Radke. She expressed how this experience left her disturbed but she didn't let anything hinder her career. 

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The WWE superstar read in her statement, "Paige here! July 7th will be the last day with WWE. I’m so thankful and I appreciate the opportunities that the company has given me. I will always be appreciative of the company that took in an 18-year-old British pale emo girl that didn’t look like your average diva, giving me the chance of a lifetime and making me feel like a superstar. I know after my neck injury took me out of in-ring status, it was pretty hard to keep me around for as long as you did, and for that, I’m thankful too." She continued, "Thank you to the WWE Universe. You guys are the most passionate group of fans I’ve ever seen. Hope you continue to stay on this journey with me. I think the toughest part weirdly enough is having to let the Paige name go! But Saraya is helluva name. Kudos to my mum for that one. FYI I’m not saying I’ll never be in the ring. That day will most certainly come again! Wherever the return maybe."

Paige: Global wrestling icon to inspiring a movie

It wasn't always easy for the wrestler. After all the unnecessary attention invasion of her privacy, and life-threatening injuries, she somehow managed to get back up and rock the ring like no one else. Her not-so-easy journey was documented in the 2019 movie 'Fighting with my Family' which got surprisingly good reviews. It follows Paige and her brother Zak hailing from a wrestling background, but only Paige gets to make it big. It is set between 2011 and 2014, and is overall quite accurate with its portrayal of the real-life Knight family. Paige comes from a family of wrestlers. Her father "Rowdy" Ricky Knight is the founder and promoter of Norwich, UK-based World Association of Wrestling along with his wife "Sweet" Saraya Knight (Lena Headey), a renowned female wrestler. Their eldest son is Roy Knight wrestles as Zebra Kid; Roy is Ricky's son from a previous relationship and is the half-brother of the siblings Zak, who wrestles as Zak Zodiac, and Saraya, the only daughter, who wrestled as Britani Knight in WAW before becoming Paige in WWE. It was the entire family's dream that both Zak and Saraya would make it to WWE. 

The 29-year-old wrestler quickly made headlines when she became the youngest Diva champion at the age of 21, defeating AJ Lee. Paige became the first NXT women's champ on July 24, 2013. She debuted on the main roster after Wrestlemania 30 and won the Diva championship the same day. Achieving so much in just 21 was a feat that no ordinary wrestler could achieve and she surely stood out.  Her WWE career was not without injuries, either. Most notable among was when she suffered a neck injury at a house show, back in December 2017. During a six-woman Tag Team match, Paige took a kick from Banks, which hurt her and led to the match being stopped. It was the injury that made her undergo multiple surgeries and forced her to retire just 4 months after the event

She had previously revealed that her WWE contract was ending in June (now confirmed June 7) and that there was no 2023 date. It's unclear whether she'll return to an executive position or as a pro-wrestler. Of course, the Internet was too kind on her leaving as they wished her well on her new journey. One user said, "I am shook! I guess I just always thought you’d be back on WWE TV sooner or later. But of course us misfits will love and support you wherever you go queen! Hope to see you back in the ring soon. No matter where you go it will always be your house #ThankYouPaige" Another user wrote, "Thank you and I really hope you find success in your next venture, and if it’s aew, I really hope you don’t get seriously hurt there. Thank you!!!"

One Paige supporter said, "Thank you Saraya for all your hard work and dedication to the fans. Hoping that this decision will be one that ends up being an all elite decision in the end! *wink!" Another Twitter user wrote, "You have been such a warrior in so many ways. No doubt you helped pioneer the change back to women getting respected again to help end the divas era. Whether going by Paige (because it's inevitable) or Saraya, you are still an absolute inspiration. Your journey is far from over."

A user remembered one of her many wins and said, "Heartbroken Still remember this moment like it was yesterday. One of the pioneers of the women's revolution." Another user said, "Thank you so very much for the awesome moments you have given us all over the years in WWE as a active Professional Wrestler even tho one door may close and another will soon open for you may you enjoy the next chapter of your career as a wrestler."

Paige's fans hail her for being a warrior and she has truly been one. In 2017 Paige, then 24, had revealed that personal and private photos of mine were stolen and unfortunately they were shared publicly without my consent." The videos included one of her with two separate male wrestlers. Other images show her flashing and posing in selfies taken in the bathroom. Later the WWE suspended her for 30 days for a violation of the company’s anti-drugs wellness policy. Back in 2017 Paige went bald and considered suicide after a leaked sex tape and drug ban made her life almost unbearable. The 25-year-old suffered stress-induced anorexia and alopecia after, in her own words, hitting rock bottom. In the years after the first leak there was one explicit photo that emerged appearing to show a sex act being performed over the NXT Champion belt. However, she survived all the humiliation and her story in the WWE world became a story of inspiration.