From the WWE/ Impact Wrestling Rumor Mill: Mike Johnson (PWInsider) says Paige wasn't in front row at Slammiversary

Is this Paige?

What’s the story?

There has been even more speculation thrown onto whether Saraya Bevis, A.K.A Paige, was in attendance for the Alberto El Patron Vs. Bobby Lashley main event at Slammiversary on Sunday. Various sources across the internet have claimed that Paige was sitting on the front row for the match wearing a ‘Dos Caras’ mask, possibly to hide her identity. 

But according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the person being photographed under the mask wasn’t, in fact, Bevis at all, but Alberto’s sister who had been given Paige's media pass. This story has been reported by a Reddit User on Squared Circle after listening to The Ross Report and has prompted many a discussion online. 

In case you didn’t know...

Bevis and El Patron announced their engagement in October last year and have enjoyed a very public relationship ever since. Having met while working for WWE, both Superstars have seen their relationship with the McMahons sour recently. El Patron, who wrestled under the ‘Alberto Del Rio’ gimmick for WWE, left the company in October 2015 claiming that he had been given false promises of a main event push and was unhappy with his contract as a result. 

Paige, while still officially with the company, hasn’t been seen in the ring since June last year. She was initially given a 30-day suspension for illicit drug use but received her second suspension, this time for 60 days, for another violation of the wellness policy. It is unclear whether Paige will be making a WWE return in the near future.

The heart of the matter

Given Paige’s troublesome relationship with the WWE at present, making such a high profile appearance at one of the company’s main rivals is not going to help matters. The WWE tends to have a strict control over what media appearances their Superstars make, and it is highly rare for an active WWE wrestler to be associated with other companies in any way. Back in 2011, for example, CM Punk had asked permission from Vince McMahon to appear at a UFC show, a request the chairman denied. 

If the women in the photographs and video footage is Paige, then it is understandable that she chose to wear a mask. The last thing she would have wanted was to draw attention to herself in that setting. However, given the latest rumours that Paige was actually backstage for the match, rather than in the audience, perhaps the WWE can be convinced to turn a blind eye and not put yet another black mark against Bevis’s name. 

Right now there is no overwhelming evidence to suggest it wasn’t Paige under the mask. The woman in question does seem to match Paige’s description in terms of hair colour and skin tone, and the photos do clearly show that the woman is holding Bevis’s media pass.

What’s next?

Whether or not the WWE will choose to take action is still uncertain. Paige did tweet out some photos last month showing her working out in the gym and suggesting her comeback to the ring will be sooner rather than later. Whatever the case, Bevis is clearly on thin ice with Vince McMahon, and given the WWE’s strict adherence to a PG, family-friendly product in 2017, Bevis might just be seen as too much of a loose canon to trust. 

Given the healthy state of the WWE’s women’s division at the moment, there is certainly a place for Paige in kayfabe terms. Seeing her go up against Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss or any of the Smackdown roster would be seen as a big attraction, but it’s unlikely that she will be trusted with a championship anytime soon. If Paige does make a return this year, it’ll likely come with a one or two caveats on WWE’s part.

Author’s take

While it is understandable for the WWE to not want their Superstars being seen at rival company events, it is a shame, in its own way, that Bevis could not openly support her fiance during one of the biggest matches of his career. Given the internet age and sheer size of the IWC at the moment, Paige was probably right to wear a mask at ringside, if indeed it was her, as making an appearance would have drawn much of the attention away from the in-ring action.

As a personal fan of Paige’s in-ring work, I do hope this latest incident does not result in too severe a punishment, and if it does turn out to be Paige in the pictures, hopefully, the WWE will see that she at least made an effort to hide her identity.

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