4 most controversial moments in Paige's WWE career
Paige's chapter with WWE has officially come to an end. Her most recent tweet stated that she would be parting ways with the company at the beginning of July, bringing to an end a long and successful association.
Paige is undoubtedly one of the best wrestlers to have stepped foot in a WWE ring. Her talent and potential was there to be seen from day one, and only a freak injury and being forced to retire stopped her from becoming an all-timer. Even then, she was a pillar of women's wrestling and among the best in the division in the years she was active.
However, as much as we are all fans of The Anti-Diva's time in WWE, we must not forget that she was also someone who liked to get into trouble. There have been multiple instances of the former Divas Champion being caught up in controversies, either due to her employers messing up or her doing less than ideal things.
On that note, let’s take a look at four of the most controversial things Paige has done in her WWE career.
#4 On our list of the most controversial moments in Paige's WWE career: Violating the WWE Wellness Policy
Paige caused controversy when she violated the WWE Wellness Policy and repeated the same offense that same year. Her conduct was not appreciated by WWE staff, who alleged that she had lied to them about her drug tests.
The suspensions coupled with her injury caused her to disappear from WWE TV for a long period. The road back was difficult and arduous, but she made it by admitting her wrongdoings and embarking on the path to recovery.
#3 Licking Natalya suggestively
Yes, you read that right. Paige's babyface run after her debut quickly lost steam, so she switched things up and turned into a heel who tiptoed along the PG tightrope. However, she may have crossed a line when she licked Natalya during a match on Main Event.
The former Divas Champion used her tongue on her opponent's face for no apparent reason. This outlandish idea landed her in hot waters with the WWE management.
#2 Bullying Lana
Paige may be a fan-favorite, but there is no denying that she has a mean streak. Case in point - Lana accusing her of bullying.
In 2015, Lana and The Anti-Diva were caught up in a heated real-life feud regarding the latter giving her a hard time. The former Divas Champion alleged that she was just trying to stay relevant by cooking up storylines. They have since made up and become close friends.
#1 Bringing up Charlotte Flair's dead brother in a promo
The wrestling world was disgusted when Paige mentioned Charlotte Flair's dead brother in a promo while insulting her. It was among the most controversial things WWE has done in the modern era, with fans unanimously criticizing it and the company editing that portion out of their videos.
When The Queen told her rival that she had plenty of fight in her, she received the response, “Well, your brother didn’t have a lot of fight in him, now did he?" The former Divas Champion didn't mention Flair's brother Reid by name, but it was pretty clear she was referring to him.
The remark was not in good taste and sparked intense debate among the WWE Universe. While some argued that it was not problematic because Flair herself must have known it was going to happen, others twitched at the outright insult of a man who had passed away.