WWE Backstage Returning For One Night Only With Renee Young, Paige And Booker T

WWE and FOX Sports have announced a special edition of WWE Backstage on FS1.

The special episode will air during Royal Rumble Weekend on Saturday, January 30 at 8pm ET on FS1. A replay will air later that night at midnight, and another replay will air at 5pm ET on Royal Rumble Sunday, as a lead-in to the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show.

The special edition of WWE Backstage will be hosted by Renee Paquette (Renee Young), Paige, and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

WWE Backstage aired from November 2019 through mid-March of this year after production was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. FOX Sports then announced in June that the show was no longer airing. A special post-SmackDown edition of the show was scheduled to air back on October 23, but it was nixed at the last minute and replaced with an airing of Talking Smack.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Closing Twitch & Cameo Pages?, AJ Styles Reacts, Paige Talks Unionization

It looks like WWE is in the process of shutting down Twitch & Mixer streaming channels owned by several Superstars. Cameo accounts are also being deactivated.

AJ Styles took to Discord this afternoon and announced that he was suspending his “Stylesclash” accounts on Mixer and Twitch due to WWE’s new policy on unauthorized third party platform activity. Styles thanked his fans for the support and memories. He also said he will be leaving his Discord server up to keep in touch with fans for future happenings.

“@everyone, I want to thank you for all the greatest memories on Mixer and Twitch,” AJ wrote. “I will cherish these memories and I love everyone of you that have made this possible and supported me. As many of you know WWE is making some changes that involve streaming. We will see what the future holds in that regard.

“With that being said I will be suspending Stylesclash stream. This isn’t good bye, but this is see you sometime in the future. We will leave discord open, but since it won’t be monitored we will be making changes. Chris or I will let you know what that looks like once we figure it out. If you see me at the arenas or wherever be sure to let me know you’re part of the phenomenal family. Again this isn’t the end it’s just a pause. Thank you again for your support.”

Mia Yim (Reckoning of RETRIBUTION) announced on Twitter that her “ItsMeSYB” Twitch stream is also being pulled down, right before her scheduled gameplay with Jessamyn Duke.

“Sorry guys, no more stream for the time being. Thank you for making these past few difficult months manageable. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. [blue heart emoji],” Yim wrote.

Cesaro announced that he was suspending his “Claudio’s Cafe” channel on Twitch today during a stream.

“Well I appreciate everybody spending some time here with me,” Cesaro said. “I don’t know when the next stream is gonna be… I’ll definitely let you guys know. … Thank everybody for spending your time with me here. Thanks for the subs, thanks for the gifts, thanks for the follows. I really do appreciate it. I hope I’ll be back soon, but when? I don’t know. So, yeah… one last race, who are we gonna race today? So yeah, I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Paige got emotional during one of her Twitch streams this afternoon on her “Saraya Official” channel after finding out about co-workers shutting down their platforms.

“You guys. We have to make this… you guys. There may be a time where I have to stop streaming,” Paige said. “So, I just think in case I walk away, if I have to walk away, let’s make these next two streams crazy. I have to go off. If I have to leave, we make today and Saturday f–king crazy before I have to leave, because it might have to come to that.

Paige continued texting, apparently with co-workers on her phone, and came back to the camera. She was more emotional as she went back to addressing her viewers. She then commented that she “cannot deal” with WWE anymore. She also blamed the company for over-working her, to the point that she suffered the career-ending neck injury during a WWE live event match in December 2017.

“I’ve honestly got to the point where I cannot deal with this company anymore,” Paige said. “So now I have to make a very important decision. I’m f–king tired, man. I broke my f–king neck twice, twice for this company, over f–king worked. I broke my neck twice for this company and all I wanted was to… they don’t realize that this community isn’t just about f–king subs. It isn’t about that. It isn’t about that. We built a wonderful community, a wonderful f–king family where this is an escape for a lot of people, including myself.

“I can’t wrestle anymore, I was worked so hard in WWE that I can’t wrestle anymore. My neck is f–ked, my whole dream got taken away from me, dude, and I had to have something that fulfilled even a small part of that huge f–king void that I lost with wrestling. A huge f–king void. I couldn’t wrestle anymore, something I lived, breathed, f–king s–t wrestling since I was a fetus, dude, and it got ripped away from me, and I had to find something that even filled a little bit of that. Twitch was such a wonderful thing for me, it’s such a wonderful place for me.”

Paige continued and wondered why WWE is taking away her platform while she just sits at home, unable to wrestle.

“And I understand,” Paige said. “I understand if they’re like, ‘Hey, if you’re wrestling every day, if you’re doing shows every day, if you’re on TV constantly.’ That’s fine, but I’m a f–king injured wrestler. I can’t wrestle anymore. I get used for media stuff sometimes, you know? But at the end of the day I’m in my f–king house. I’m going f–king crazy, dude. I need something to keep me sane, man, and Twitch was my escape from that, you know? Right now I’m just sitting on my f–king ass.”

Paige also brought up her private photos & videos that were leaked on the internet a few years ago, and her failed drug tests, and relationship with former WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio. She also accused WWE of treating her bad.

“I had a terrible couple of years where I had tapes leaked about me, where I popped a couple of drug tests because I was in an abusive f–king relationship, dude,” Paige said. “And that’s the only thing I could f–king do. See, people think I should be thankful that I still have a f–king job, right? And I am, but it doesn’t mean I should be treated like f–king s–t.”

Paige said at one point that she would keep streaming because her neck was taken away twice and she won’t allow WWE to take away her Twitch next. She also mentioned potential unionization in pro wrestling, revealing that she’s been in touch with a unionization lawyer.

“People don’t realize I’m outspoken as f–k,” Paige said. I will say how I feel. I don’t care who you are. I will say how I feel because I don’t like being walked all over. … You know what? I’m gonna start looking more into unionization. I’ve been learning about it by a unionization lawyer.

“This is bigger than Twitch, it’s about taking f–king control of your own life and not being controlled by anyone. I gave ten years, man. I poured my f–king heart and soul into this. I had a bad couple of years like every motherf–ker has. I’m not the only one who is f–king controversial around here, I’m not the only one. It’s f–king louder when it comes to me because I’m a f–king female. I hate using that because I’m a woman but it’s because I’m a woman and women don’t usually stand up for themselves.”

Paige went on and said she will continue to stream for her fans, and see how the situation plays out. Paige said she loves WWE but doesn’t agree with what is being done in regards to the third party activity. She noted that she understands that this is a business decision, and nothing personal, but she still doesn’t have to agree with it. She also noted that she felt sad at first, but now she feels empowered after speaking out on the latest stream. She told fans that she will be speaking out with more of what’s on her mind over the next couple of days.

WWE couple Zelina Vega and Aleister Black also discussed the situation on their “AtoZ” Twitch channel. They reiterated that they are not 100% sure of what will happen to the account as they have not talked to “the office” but they know there will be a conversation on the matter at SmackDown on Friday.

“In all fairness, we don’t know,” Black said. “We don’t know but it’s starting to look like, obviously that this might be the last one for a while. We haven’t been told anything, but obviously tomorrow is TV, and I know that there’s going to be a conversation tomorrow. But, like, it’s not definite, it’s not like this is the last final stream ever.”

Vega added, “Although it could be. I want you to be prepared for that, too.”

Black continued, “It could be but we don’t think it is, but you never know. I think what’s happening is they’re trying to find a way to make it coexist within the WWE Universe and whatever way that they want to do that, I don’t know, and if we agree to that, I don’t know. I literally can’t tell you anything because we don’t know anything.”

“Only because we haven’t been told anything from the office,” Vega added.

Black and Vega acknowledged the statements by Styles and Yim, and said they made those because they were told separately. Vega said it’s their business and she’s not sure if Yim and Styles have had conversations with the office, but she and Black have not.

“I think you can definitely say this is the last one for a while, for at least a while, and I don’t know how long that while is. Obviously tomorrow [at SmackDown] we’re going to get a little more clarity on things, but I don’t know,” Black said.

Like Styles, Black and Vega plan to keep their Discord server open so they can interact with fans.

“I’m just going to be candid,” Vega said. “And just like, we don’t know but we have a good idea, and there’s the whole ‘trying to make it work for everybody’ stage that we’re in right now, and we’re hoping that there is some kind of middle ground. Is there? There may not be because the thing is, that sounds great, you know? And I hope there is. It sounds like middle ground would be awesome, but I also want to prepare people.”

She added, “Because I don’t want to give you guys hope and then slap you guys in the face and go, ‘Sorry!’ You know what I mean?”

“We’re preparing you for both,” Vega said. “We’re preparing you for the, ‘Hey we figured out something and it’s kind of going to be different and it’s going to work somehow.’ But it’s not going to be exactly what this is because I don’t think it’ll ever be this, it’ll be different if there is that, but there’s also the side of, ‘We just have to stop.’ I want you guys to be prepared for both. I just want to be 100% honest with you.”

Black and Vega acknowledged Paige being upfront and honest with her viewers, and not holding anything back. Vega recalled how Paige also said officials have not said anything concrete to her either, but Vega is sure something will happen to the third party activity. Black and Vega also commented on how they built their platform together, with the fans, despite Black being a very private person.

On a related note, several WWE Superstars have deactivated their Cameo accounts as well, and are no longer taking requests from fans. RSN discovered that Big E, Riddle, Kevin Owens and others have all deactivated their Cameo accounts, which were big earners for some wrestlers. There are some WWE Superstars who remain on Cameo, such as Lacey Evans and Mandy Rose, among others. It remains to be seen if their accounts will be deactivated soon like the others.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Jeff Hardy And Paige Returning To WWE SmackDown This Friday

WWE announced that Paige and Jeff Hardy will be appearing on SmackDown this Friday night on FOX.

It was announced that Paige, who was forced to undergo emergency surgery last week to remove an ovarian cyst, will be appearing on the show to confront Bayley.

It will be Paige’s first appearance on RAW or SmackDown since The Kabuki Warriors dropped her as their manager on RAW last October.

Hardy announced last week that he was cleared to return to action. He suffered a leg injury last year shortly after WrestleMania 35 in April of 2019, and suffered some personal setbacks during that time.

After being arrested last October, Hardy checked himself into inpatient rehab for the first time in his life. He is scheduled to be back in court on Monday, April 6, the day after WrestleMania 36, for charges related to the arrest.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1237241773748924419

Paige Provides Update After Undergoing Emergency Surgery

Paige’s boyfriend Ronnie Radke noted on Twitter that she was forced to undergo emergency surgery in Sacramento, CA yesterday to remove an ovarian cyst.

Paige noted this morning that he’s doing fine, calling it another small speed bump, something she’s used to.

“Just an update. I’m fine you guys! No more pain and healthy af! Haha just another small speed bump. I’m used to it. Haha so thankful for @RonnieRadke [heart emoji]”

Below is Paige’s full tweet with GIF, along with the original tweet from Radke and Paige defending him for canceling his concert due to her surgery and his drummer getting sick:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1235576646997921792

https://twitter.com/RonnieRadke/status/1235475999229280256

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1235494204874219522

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paige Fuels Speculation On Her Career And WWE Future

There have been a lot of rumors and speculation on Paige possibly returning to the ring for WWE this year.

The speculation began after Paige made several cryptic tweets. She took to Twitter over the weekend and commented on her glory days, and the private footage that was released in 2018. The former WWE Divas and Women’s Champion declared that she has “a lot of career left” and that 2020 will be a good year for her.

“I get told that my glory days are over w/ my career & that I’m a ‘slut’ coz of the crap that got released about me. Just know again. Ppl make mistakes when they’re young. I’m not that person. Also my glory days are far from over,” Paige wrote.

“I have a whole a lot of career left in me. 2020 will be a good year for me,” she continued in another tweet.

Paige suffered a career-ending neck injury at a December 2017 WWE live event in Uniondale, NY, and then retired from the ring. She managed WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors until she needed to take time off for a hernia back in August 2018. The hernia was related to the career-ending neck injury, and she underwent another procedure last summer. The 27 year old revealed in a post-surgery Instagram post last August that she had the neck of a 60 year old. Despite the rumors and speculation, a return to the ring seems unlikely based on the information she’s revealed.

Paige will return to her duties as an analyst and co-host on FS1’s WWE Backstage this week.

You can see Paige’s full tweets below, along with responses from her wrestler parents. Her mother said she believes Paige will have her own primetime talk show within a few years.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1213205004397379585

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1213205132457824256

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1213534815602872320

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1213534909794418688

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Announces Network Special For Monday (Top 10 Matches of 2019)

WWE has confirmed that Paige will host the Top 10 Matches of 2019 special this coming Monday on the WWE Network. The special will premiere at 3:25pm ET. Below is the full announcement:

WWE’s Top 10 Matches of 2019 streaming on WWE Network this Monday before RawThe past year featured some of the most incredible matches and unbelievable moments to ever happen in a WWE ring. This Monday before Raw, you’ll have the chance to relive 2019’s 10 best and most jaw-dropping bouts in their entirety on WWE’s Top 10 Matches of 2019, exclusively on WWE Network.

Join two-time Divas Champion and WWE Backstage co-host Paige as she counts down the year’s 10 greatest matches, as selected by the editors of WWE.com.

Find out which matchup snagged the No. 1 spot in this must-see countdown special, beginning Monday at 3:25 p.m. ET, only on WWE Network.

CM Punk Films Test Material For WWE Show Earlier This Week, More Names FOX Brought In To Try Out

The rumblings on CM Punk and WWE continue.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported how WWE has an impression that Punk wants to be back with the company, but right now it’s nothing they are counting on to happen. This report comes after it was revealed in the summer how Punk’s representative went to FOX to try and push Punk as a co-host of the new “WWE Backstage” studio show on FS1. WWE was not interested in Punk for that role, and it was officially announced this week that the show will be hosted by Renee Young and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.

In an update, multiple WWE sources have confirmed to PWInsider that Punk was at FOX Studios earlier this week in Los Angeles to discuss a potential on-air role for the WWE Backstage show on FS1, which premieres on Tuesday, November 5 at 11pm ET.

There’s no word yet on what all went down at the meeting, but Punk did do some on-camera testing. Renee was also present for the meeting.

It has not been confirmed that Punk has signed a deal to work on the show. We’ve noted how FOX brought in several WWE and non-WWE personalities to Los Angeles this summer to try out for the show. Taz and WWE Hall of Famer Sean Waltman were also brought in several times over the past few months to try out, according to PWInsider, and it was also reported that Paige and Rey Mysterio were considered. There’s also no word yet on which personalities will be used along with Renee and Booker.

FOX has experimented with different versions of the show and how it will be presented, ranging from 3-5 personalities hosting a panel discussion. A final decision on the format had not been agreed on as of earlier this week.

As noted, FOX will be taping the series each week, not WWE. Punk would technically be working for FOX and not WWE, if he signs on to be a part of the show.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paige Undergoing Surgery Today

Paige posted on Twitter this morning that it was surgery time.

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1161625567684251648

As noted, Paige revealed over the weekend that she missed her SummerSlam Meet & Greet because she had to visit her doctor, where it was determined that she needs to undergo neck surgery to fix a new hernia, which is related to the original career-ending neck injury that she suffered during the December 2017 WWE live event in Uniondale, NY. Dr. Uribe has also worked on the necks of Tyson Kidd and Nikki Bella.

Paige Reveals She Needs Neck Surgery

Paige had to cancel her SummerSlam Meet and Greet appearance today because she had to go to her doctor about her neck. Hours after she tweeted about the cancellation, she posted that she needs to have neck surgery.

Paige tweeted, “Me and my fave Dr! Dr Juan Uribe. He did an amazing job on my last neck surgery. Also the miracle worker for Nikki Bella and TJ Wilson’s necks! Unfortunately, the match from Uniondale created a new hernia that we thought would heal. It did not. Sooo… One more surgery to go.”

She also shared more about her neck on Instagram, revealing that the doctor told her that she has the neck of a 60-year-old.

Many sent her support, Nia Jax wrote, “You’re so strong and brave and just AMAZING!! I love you!!!,” Mandy Rose wrote, “Aww mama ur so strong! Love uuu,” and Natalya wrote, “Thinking of you and I know that you’ll get stronger and better very soon.”

Below are Paige’s social media posts about the cancellation and news about her surgery:

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1159583749970862080

https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/1159655265949503489

https://www.instagram.com/p/B07Stj2BScL/?utm_source=ig_embed

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Paige On WWE Creative Frustration With The Kabuki Warriors, Recent Vince McMahon Interaction

Paige recently spoke with The Sun to promote the DVD release of WWE Studios’ “Fighting with My Family” movie and was asked about Vince McMahon’s reaction to the film.

“I don’t know what Vince’s reaction to it was. But if you get a big hug from Vince McMahon you’re doing well. I saw him last week and he gave me a big hug and said, ‘I’m very happy for you.’ I don’t know it that’s about the movie or the fact that I’m healthy. I think he probably liked it if he did watch it,” Paige said.

Paige also spoke about being the manager for The Kabuki Warriors, Asuka and Kairi Sane. Paige is convinced the team can be a game changer for the WWE women’s tag team division, if they can get the TV time. She talked about being frustrated over how the team has been used.

“If we don’t get used I get really frustrated because we’re a good tag team and we need to be utilised. Sometimes the writers have so much on their plate with everyone else’s storylines, they put things on the backburner. I have to remind them, ‘Ok, but there is a women’s tag team title… I’m like, ‘What the hell dudes? Let’s make something happen.’

“It frustrates me but once you actually get to speak with Vince and Hunter about your problems and frustrations, they’re always the first to say, ‘Let’s change this.’ If you go up to writers it’s like talking to a brick wall sometimes, whereas if you go to Vince and Hunter they’re like, ‘If you have a problem we can change that for you.’ The Kabuki Warriors can be a force to be reckoned with and that was the plan from the beginning… After the match in Tokyo hopefully we’ll get to build towards a pay-per-view, which gives the girls something to look forward to. So I’m happy we have a boss that really listens to us.”

As noted, Sane and Asuka became the new #1 contenders to WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics by winning a non-title match in Tokyo this past week. There’s no word yet on when they will get their title shot.

Regarding her WWE future, Paige said she wouldn’t be interested in a role on the creative team, but she does see herself staying with WWE in some capacity, and she’s interested in pursuing acting.

“One way or another I’ll always be a part of WWE, whether it’s in front of the camera or behind the camera. I’d love to do a GM role again. I felt like I really found myself in that role. It really pushed me,” she said. “Also, I love acting, I truly really love it. Obviously wrestling always will be my first passion but unfortunately I can’t do that anymore.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.