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Paige made an appearance Busted Open Radio last Tuesday to promote the 1000th episode of WWE SmackDown Live where she spoke with Mark Henry and Dave LaGreca. In this interview she talked about a wide range of topics including the feeling that she was a pioneer of women’s wrestling in the WWE and how she helped change the mindset of how women talent are seen in the company while training in FCW at the time, which was WWE’s developmental system before NXT was created.
The SmackDown Live General Manager recalled making a few girls cry when she first started as she would have to apologize to them because this is how she wrestles and trains. She brought up how she had to start doing like the bikini contest in FCW, which made her put her foot down and say how she was there to wrestle. She added that “I’m not here to flash my body, I’m not here to not be wearing wrestling boots.”
Now, that she’s no longer able to wrestle, she mentors the female talent on the SmackDown Live roster. She brought up talking with Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose after their matches and giving them advice.
She thinks that it’s great that they listen to her and included The IIconics. Paige stated that Billie Kay and Peyton Royce would come up to her after every match and ask for her take on it. She added that “I love it because I can’t compete in the ring anymore. Anything I can give back is amazing.”