How Paige’s role as manager could help elevate other WWE talent
Paige’s new role as manager could be just the shake-up WWE needs.
When Paige was relieved of her general manager duties on SmackDown Live, questions began circulating as to what would be next for her in the WWE. Now it seems the answer to that question is the role of manager.
After a brief hiatus away from the WWE to promote the film Fighting with My Family (which centers around her real-life journey to superstardom) Paige returned on the post-WrestleMania episode of SmackDown with a teaser.
After observing the new Women’s Tag Team Champions, The IIconics, in what could only be considered a jobber squash match, Paige announced that she’d be bringing in an “impressive” duo to the women’s tag team scene. Speculation online began immediately with most fans gravitating to the tandem of Io Shirai and Kairi Sane, a.k.a. The Sky Pirates from NXT. Paige herself also reached out on Twitter asking fans who they thought she was going to bring in.
https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1116588440437420033
Having Paige in a managerial role is nothing new. In late 2018 after she aggravated a neck injury which ultimately forced her retirement, Paige stood in the corner of Mandy Rose and Sonya DeVille to establish the faction Absolution. During the media rounds for Fighting with My Family, Paige appeared on an episode of Collider Live, where she was asked what the future held for her WWE career. Paige responded with an interest in managing, particularly Asuka:
"I always wanted to do that managerial role, kind of be like the Paul Heyman kind of thing. Now that I’ve had more experience doing promos and stuff with the general manager role I feel like I’ll do pretty well. Even with Asuka, I’d love to do something with her because I feel like … because her mic skills … like she’s good but it’s really hard for her to speak a lot of English, y’know? And she’s an amazing athlete and I would love to represent her."
In the early 1980s and ’90s, wrestling managers were much more prevalent than they are today. Some of the best like Bobby Heenan, Jimmy Hart, and Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman) managed large factions. If a talent landed in the Heenan Family or the Dangerous Alliance it elevated them simply by association. Some of the most talented in-ring performers who weren’t quite as exemplary on promo skills also benefited from having a mouthpiece do the talking for them.
Anytime Paige has been handed a microphone she’s delivered, whether it was during her in-ring career as a performer, or most recently as general manager of SmackDown. With Paige representing talents like Asuka, The Sky Pirates or any number of other women or men it would only help to shine a brighter light on them. And in the case of someone like Asuka, her limited English could no longer be an excuse to hold her back.
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Find out which team Paige is bringing to SmackDown on Tuesday April 16 during the Superstar Shake-up.