British professional wrestler
Saraya-Jade Bevis, born 17 August 1992, is an English professional wrestler. Her time with WWE is her most prominent. She was the first NXT Women’s Champion and a two-time WWE Divas Champion. [n 1] She is currently the only woman to hold both NXT Women’s and Divas Championships simultaneously. [12]
Bevis, then 13, made her debut as Britani Knight in 2005 for the family’s World Association of Wrestling promotion. She won several European independent championships. Bevis was signed by WWE in 2011 after being scouted in England. She began her career in the WWE’s developmental systems. In 2012, she made her debut on Florida Championship Wrestling and then went on to win in NXT. She became the youngest Divas Champion by winning the Divas Championship in her 21st match on the main roster. [13]
Paige was injured in 2015 and 2016. She had neck surgery in October 2016. She sustained an injury to her neck in a match in December 2017. This prevented her from continuing competing. Paige, who was 25 years old, officially retired from in-ring competition due to injury in 2018. She has served in managing roles and is a contributor for WWE-related programs. Paige ranked No. Paige ranked No. She was awarded the WWE Year-End Award as General Manager of Year in 2018. Channel 4 made a documentary in 2012 about Paige and her family called The Wrestlers Fighting with My Family. This was later adapted into Fighting with My Family 2019, which is now available on DVD.
Early life
Saraya-Jade Bevis, a Norwich native, was born on 17 August 1992. [14][15] Saraya-Jade Bevis is part of a professional wrestler family. Her parents, Julia Hamerbevis and Patrick Bevis are both wrestlers. [5] Her family owns and runs the World Association of Wrestling promotion at Norwich. Bellatrix Female Warriors is a women’s-only wrestling promotion that is also located in Norwich. [16] Bevis’ mother used to wrestle, but she didn’t know that she was seven months pregnant. Bevis lived with her family in a Norwich council house. She went to The Hewett School in Norwich. [18] She was afraid of wrestling as a child because of the injuries she and her family suffered. [19] Bevis began wrestling at age 10 and would sometimes fight her brothers. Her father would also teach her how to wrestle. [7] Bevis lost her younger brother when she was 13 years old. [20] She worked at her parents’ bar as a bouncer while she was away from home when she was 15. [21]
Profession in wrestling
European independent circuit (2005-2011)
Bevis made her debut at 13 years old when her father asked her to replace a failed wrestler. [7][8] Bevis’s first recorded match was April 2006. She teamed up with her mother, Britani Knight, to defeat a triple threat tag-team match in World Association of Wrestling. [22] Knight teamed up with Melodi in order to create a tag team called The Norfolk Dolls, based on The California Dolls. They wrestled in numerous English promotions. [22] In June 2007, the Norfolk Dolls defeated the Legion of Womb to win the World Association of Women’s Wrestling’s Tag Team Championship. [25]
Knight at a Swiss Championship Wrestling Event in November. Knight was 14 years old when she sent her resume to many European wrestling promotions. Knight got the opportunity to wrestle in France, Turkey and Denmark. Knight also had the chance to compete in the United States. Knight managed to travel alone at the age of 14. She started competing for singles titles without much success. Knight, a Scottish Wrestling League (W3L), Women’s Title competitor, lost to Sara in September 2007. [24] Knight participated in a tournament in December 2007 where the winner would be the first WAWW British Champion. However, she lost to Jetta in the finals. [24] Knight challenged Sara and Jetta to their titles in 2008, but lost. [26]
Knight continued to win singles victories starting in 2009. Knight beat her mother Sweet Saraya to win the vacant Herts and Essex Women’s Championship in August 2009. [27] Knight defeated Saraya again later that month to win the WAWW British Championship. [27] Knight won the Real Deal Wrestling Women’s Championship in November 2009. She was defeated by Saraya in an elimination match that also featured Chelsey Lo and Stacey Baybie. [27][28] Knight, who was in HEW at the time, won the RQW Women’s Championship, defeating Jetta in a champion vs. champ match, with her HEW Women’s Championship on line. [27] Knight and her mother challenged Amazon, Ananya and others for the PWF Ladies Tag Team Championship in May 2010. They won. [29] Knight lost the HEW Women’s Championship on 17 July 2010 to her mother. [30]
Knight won the German Stampede Wrestling Ladies’ Championship from Blue Nikita on 22 January 2011. [31][32] Knight also participated in the debut show of Turkish Power Wrestling, Ankara in January 2011. She lost to Shanna for her inaugural TPW Ladies Crown. She reclaimed the HEW Women’s Championship from her mother on 11 March. [32] Knight was able to return to Pro-Wrestling EVE on the 8th of April to compete in a tournament to crown the Pro-Wrestling EVE Champion. Knight lost a four-way bout to Jenny Sjodin on the first night. She won a Last Chance battle Royal, and then beat Sjodin in her quarter-final match. [33] She defeated Jetta in her semi-final match the next day. [33] Later, she defeated Nikki Storm in the finals to win the Pro Wrestling: EVE Championship. [1][33] Knight defeated Amy Cooper to win the SCW Ladies Championship on 30 April. [34] Knight also became the WAWW Hardcore Champion in 2011 when she won an elimination match. [32]
Knight lost her Pro-Wrestling EVE Championship to Jenny Sjodin on 4 June. On 26 June, Knight also lost her SCW Ladies Championship, which she had won to her mother in a four-way match that also featured Amy Cooper and Laura Wellings. [36] Knight and her mother lost the PWF Ladies Tag Team Championship on 2 August to Destiny and Amazon in a match that ended in two out of three falls. [37][38] Knight vacated heW Women’s Championship on 12 November. [39] Knight also lost to Liberty the WAWW British Championship on 19 November 2011. She also vacated the RQW Women’s Championship that day. [40]
Shimmer Women Athletes (2011)
Britani Knight was Bevis’s new name. She debuted on 26 March 2011, at the tapings for Volume 37 in Berwyn (Illinois). They formed the Knight Dynasty with Saraya Knight as her mother and defeated Nikki Roxx, Ariel and the other team using the Dynasty’s brass knuckles to disqualify them. [41][42] The Knight Dynasty won the Shimmer Tag Team Championship match against Misaki Ohata and Hiroyo Matsumoto at Volume 38. [41][42]
The Knight Dynasty lost a second Shimmer Tag Team Championship match against champions Ayako Hayada, and Ayumi Kuriihara in October 2011. Saraya refused Britani help. After the match, Saraya reprimanded Britani. [41][43] Britani lost to Jessie McKay at Volume 43. This was her third consecutive defeat. Saraya then disowned (in storyline), and slapped Britani. The brawl that ensued between the two caused them to have to break apart. [41][44] Britani challenged Saraya for a match at Volume 44. Britani won the match without disqualification and defeated Saraya in her final Shimmer match. [44][45]
WWE
Florida Championship Wrestling (2011–2012)
Bevis was the first to be informed by a talent scout that WWE would offer try-outs. [7] Bevis failed her first attempt in November 2010 but she succeeded in April 2011. [7][46][21] Bevis signed a contract in September 2011 with WWE. She was assigned to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) at the time. [47] Saraya made her debut in FCW on a house show, 5 January 2012. [4] She changed her ring name to Paige when she made her TV debut on FCW TV’s 26 February episode. [48] Bevis named the character in honor of Paige Matthews, Charmed’s “a buttchin like me”. Paige and Sofia Cortez formed an alliance in March 2012, dubbed the “Anti-Diva Army”. Paige made her television in-ring debut on March 19, when she competed alongside Cortez in a tag team match. The duo lost to Audrey Marie, Kaitlyn and Kaitlyn. Paige and Cortez formed a brief alliance with Rick Victor and won a mixed tag-team match against Audrey Marie English and Aiden English. Paige defeated Raquel Diaz, FCW Divas Champion on May 6th in a non-title triple danger match. Audrey Marie was also present. Paige won a championship match against Diaz in a non-title triple threat match on FCW TV’s 27 May episode. Diaz’s chicanery resulted in Paige being disqualified, and Diaz keeping her title. [53] The Anti-Diva Army teased dissension as Paige continued to fight with Audrey Marie. Paige lost to Marie 11 June on FCW TV, after Cortez intervened against her. This signalled the end of the alliance. [54] Marie won the no disqualification match in FCW TV’s final episode on 15 July. Paige and Cortez ended their feud. [55]
NXT Women’s Champion (2012)-2014
The WWE rebranded its development territory FCW as NXT. [56] Paige made her NXT television debut on the third episode, which was taped at Full Sail University. She lost to Sofia Cortez. [57] Paige won a lot of fans from September 2012 onwards. [64][65]
Paige was attacked by Summer Rae, ring announcer for NXT. This happened because Rae was jealous of Paige’s success and popularity. [63][66] Paige sustained a shoulder injury during a brawl with Rae on the 13th February episode of NXT. Rae used this opportunity to end Paige’s streak of undefeated episodes. Paige continued to confront Rae. [68][69] Paige beat Rae in a singles game, despite Rae’s prematch attack on the 1 May episode. Paige entered the tournament in June to determine NXT’s first Women’s Champion. En route to the final, she defeated Tamina Suka and Alicia Fox. She then defeated Emma to become the inaugural champ (the episode aired via tape delay on the 24th of July 2013, the day that WWE officially began her reign). [71][72][73][74]
Paige won her first title defense on NXT’s 14 August episode, defeating Summer Rae. Paige and Emma fought with Summer Rae, Sasha Banks over the next months. [76] Paige won her title back against Natalya in the December episode of NXT and against Emma at NXT Arrival on February 27, 2014. [77][78] Paige lost her NXT Women’s Championship on 24 April and was forced to give it up. [10][11]
Divas Champion (2014-2015).
Paige poses just after she won the Divas Championship at her main-line debut in April 2014. Paige made her main-line debut on the 7th April 2014 episode. [79] Paige congratulated Divas Champion AJ Lee for her successful title defense at the pay-per view event. After which AJ slapped Paige and challenged her to a match for the championship. Paige quickly won the match, making her the youngest Divas Champion in WWE history, the first Diva ever to win the title and the NXT Women’s Championships. Paige won her first title defense on Raw’s 28 April episode. She faced Brie Bella in an impromptu match. However, Kane attacked Brie and Paige was forced to flee. Paige defeated Tamina Suka on 4 May at Extreme Rules in her first successful defense of her title on pay-per view. [85][86]
Paige lost her first main roster match against Alicia Fox on the 19th May episode of Raw. [87] This led to a title bout between the two at Payback where Paige won. Paige began a feud in June with Cameron, and she was defeated in two non-title matches. Paige was defeated by Naomi, Cameron’s tag-team partner, in a non title match[91]. Paige was then granted a title match at Money in the Bank. Paige won. [92] WWE was criticised during this period for not developing Paige’s character, despite being able do so for Paige’s opponents[93][94] as well as for portraying Paige in a vulnerable champion while she was proving her worth in the storyline. [95][96]
A role reversal took place on the post-Money in the Bank Raw episode. Paige defeated AJ Lee in a title match to regain the Divas Championship. Paige initially resisted the challenge, but she eventually agreed to the match at the request of the live audience. Paige behaved as if she was best friends with Lee in tag matches where they teamed up. [98][99] Paige lost the Battleground rematch to Lee for the Divas Champion. [100] Paige attacked Lee viciously on the Raw post-Battleground episode. Paige and Lee had won a tag match against Emma, Natalya and Paige. Paige and Lee won a tag match against Emma and Natalya on 21 July. Paige then turned villainous after viciously assaulting Lee. Paige won the second Divas Championship at SummerSlam. Paige lost her title to Lee a month later, in a triple-threat match that also featured Nikki Bella. Paige formed an alliance with Alicia Fox, while still feuding against Lee[104]. But after Fox failed to win Paige a second title match against Lee at Hell in a Cell Paige dissolved the alliance and attacked Fox on Raw the next night. Paige was eliminated from her team by Naomi in a 4-on-4 elimination tag-team match at Survivor Series. [107]
Paige saved Natalya during a post-match attack by Divas Champion Nikki Bella[108]. This led to a non title match between the two on Main Event the next night, which Paige won. [109] The result was a tag-team match between Paige & Natalya at The Royal Rumble. The Bella Twins won. After being tortured by The Bella Twins for weeks, Paige challenged Nikki to the Divas Champion at Fastlane[111]. On the 2nd March episode of Raw, AJ Lee saved Paige against a post-match attack from The Bellas. Paige and Lee were then forced to face off in a tag match at Wrestlemania 31. Paige and Lee defeated The Bella Twins. Paige and Lee won the match in Paige’s Wrestlemania debut. Paige won a battle Royal to become Nikki Bella’s number one contender for the Divas Championship[114]. She was then attacked by Naomi in the storyline, leaving her unable to compete. After a one month absence, Paige returned to Raw on the 18th May episode. She saved Nikki Bella and Tamina from an attack. Bella was also attacked by Paige. Paige lost the triple threat match at Elimination Chamber between Paige and Naomi. [117] Paige then attempted to challenge Nikki for the title in June in two singles matches on Raw, Money in the Bank and after Brie and Nikki switched places[118][119] as well in a triple threat match at The Beast in the East on July 4th, which also featured Tamina. [120]
Women’s Revolution 2015-2016
After weeks of being outnumbered and outnumbered by The Bella Twins, Alicia Fox and their ally Alicia Fox for weeks, Stephanie McMahon called a “revolution in the Divas Division”. She introduced Charlotte and Becky Lynch, the first Paige’s allies, and NXT Women Champion Sasha Banks, as the ally of Naomi, Tamina and Tamina. [121] After the initial name of “Submission Sorority”, the trio of Paige and Becky was changed to “Team PCB” after each wrestler’s first initials. [122][123] After Becky Lynch pining Brie Bella, the three teams faced off at SummerSlam in an elimination match. All PCB members competed in the “Divas beat The Clock Challenge” on the 31st August episode of Raw. Charlotte was the number one contender for Divas Championship. Paige battled Sasha Banks to the finish. [125] The result was two matches between Paige & Banks on the 7th and 14th September episodes of Raw. Banks won. [128]
Charlotte won the Divas Championship title from Nikki Bella,[129]. During her celebration on Raw the next night, Paige made a work promo in which she claimed Charlotte was there only because of her father. She also criticized other Divas division members, including Becky, Natalya, and Natalya. Paige also had multiple encounters with Natalya. [132][133] Paige behaved as if she was trying to reconcile with Becky or Charlotte throughout October[134][135] but instead attacked them. [136] In November, Paige became the new number one contender for Charlotte’s Divas Championship after winning a fatal four-way match,[137][138] but was unsuccessful in regaining the title on three different occasions: at Survivor Series, when she lost by submission,[139][140][141] the following night on Raw in a rematch, which ended in a double countout,[142] and at TLC, when she once again lost. [143]
Paige was unable to appear on television due to her injury rivalry with Charlotte. [144] Paige returned to Raw on the 18th January 2016, accompanying Natalya, her former rival, to her match against Brie. Paige began competing in singles and tag teams matches upon her return. Both winning and losing ends were reached. [146][147][148][149][150][151] Paige then aligned herself with fellow Total Divas cast members Brie Bella, Natalya, Alicia Fox and Eva Marie, facing Lana, Naomi, Tamina, Summer Rae and Emma in a 10-Diva tag team match on the WrestleMania 32 kick-off show, in which Paige’s team emerged victorious. Paige defeated Charlotte twice on Raw. She was then granted a title match. However, Paige would be attacked and beaten by Dana Brooke and Charlotte after the match. Sasha Banks saved Paige. [153] The result was a tag-team match on the 27th June episode of Raw. Banks and Paige won the victory. [154]
Retirement and neck injuries (2016-2018).
Paige was selected to Raw as part of the 2016 WWE Draft, which took place on 19th July. [155] Paige’s mother posted on Twitter on 3 August that Paige was currently on a medical leave. Paige was fired on 17 August for violating the company’s wellness policy. [157][158] Paige later clarified that she hadn’t failed a drug screen, but that her suspension was due to a procedural problem. Paige announced in September 2016 that she was undergoing neck surgery. She also said that she wouldn’t be wrestling for an unknown amount of time. Paige was again suspended on 10 October for violating the wellness policy, this time for 60-days. [161] Bevis tweeted that Paige was suspended again for violating the wellness policy. Children.. Please don’t ask for prescriptions or doctor notes. This is unacceptable. Her father issued a statement stating that she was prescribed medication for her neck injury. WWE released a statement saying she had tested positive for illegal substances, and not prescription drugs. [162] She had successful neck surgery[163] on 19 October and was then cleared to compete in in-ring competition in September 2017. [164][165]
Paige was back on Raw to take out Sasha Banks and Bayley, Mickie Jim, and Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Blaiss. Paige was joined by debutants Mandy Rose [166] and Sonya deville in her attack. Together, they formed the stable Absolution. Paige defeated Sasha Banks in her first in-ring match since June 2016. The group later attacked Alicia Fox. Paige sustained another injury at a house show on December 27, when she took a kick from Sasha Banks during a six-woman tag match. The referee had to stop the match. Paige sustained an impact injury to her neck that prevented her from participating in the Royal Rumble. Paige continued to support her Absolution friends in their matches, but she did not return to the in-ring. Paige was part of the commentary team at the Wrestlemania 34 kick-off. Paige was injured and retired from in-ring competition on the post-Wrestlemania Raw episode. [9][172]
Non-wrestling roles (2018-2022)
Paige announced her retirement from the ring on SmackDown Live’s 10 April 2018, episode. Shane McMahon, acting as the commissioner, made the announcement. Paige turned her head once more and disbanded Absolution. [173] WWE Chairman Vince McMahon gave Paige this position to promote Fighting with My Family. Paige remained in the same position for the remainder of the year, until the McMahons announced that they would be taking over the General Manager position. This was done quietly on the 17th December Raw. [175] Paige was confirmed by Shane McMahon on SmackDown the next night. However, she will not be in the same role. [176]
Paige spent several weeks traveling to promote Fighting with My Family. She made a backstage appearance during the 10 April 2019 SmackDown episode. Paige announced that she would bring a new tag team into the division to compete with The IIconics (Billie Kay, Peyton Royce) in their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. Paige took over the management of the Kabuki Warriors, a newly formed team consisting of Asuka (new SmackDown draftee Kairi) and Paige. [178][179] Although the duo were initially unsuccessful, Paige returned to the show on a short hiatus after undergoing neck surgery. The pair would win the title at Hell in a Cell on 6 October. Paige returned to the show to thank them for their 28 October episode of Raw. However, Asuka sprayed Paige with green mist and cut all ties with her. [181] As a result, she became a contributor to WWE’s studio show WWE Backstage. It premiered on FS1 on 5 November. [182]
Paige was able to return to SmackDown via Skype, on the 20th of March 2020, to face Bayley and Sasha Banks as SmackDown Women’s Champion. She announced that Bayley would defend her title at Wrestlemania 36 in a six-way elimination match (though it was changed to a five-way match after Dana Brooke was withdrawn). [183]
Paige ranked No. Paige ranked 17 on WWE’s Top 50 Women Superstars List. [184]
Paige, who was leaving WWE in June 2022, announced her resignation via Twitter on July 7. [185]
Channel 4 made a documentary in July 2012 about Bevis and her family, The Wrestlers Fighting with My Family. [186][187] This documentary was made into Fighting with My Family 2019, starring Florence Pugh as Bevis. [188]
Paige has been featured in six WWE videogames. Paige made her in-game debut in WWE 2K15 [189] and is now featured as a playable character for WWE 2K16,[190] WWE 2K17 and WWE 2K18. [194]
Paige was cast as Total Divas’ second season in October 2014. The show, produced by WWE and E!, began airing in 2015. Paige was a guest star on the MTV series Ridiculousness’ 14-January 2016 episode. [196] Paige was in the same cast as Natalya, Briebella and the Chrisleys on the 88th Academy Awards edition. Countdown to Red Carpet, 28 February. [197]
Paige, Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan were all featured in Smosh’s 131st installment, Game Bang, March 2015. Paige is a frequent guest at Wizard World Comic Con events in the United States. She hosts autograph sessions, photo ops and Q&A sessions. Paige was appointed one of the judges for the sixth season’s Tough Enough in June 2015. Paige had predicted that she would be a judge on the sixth season of Tough Enough before it even started. Paige appeared on Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Stone Cold Podcast on 3 August 2015. [204] On 22 October, she was a Conan guest. [205]
Paige appeared in two WWE Studios films: Santa’s Little Helper (released in November 2015[206][207]) and Scooby-Doo! She also appeared in WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon in which she played a voice role. It was released in July 2016. [208] She was a voice actor in Surf’s Up 2 by Sony Pictures Animation, which was released in 2017. [209][210]
Paige was featured on the WWE Network special WWE Chronicle, which aired 26 January 2019. [211]
Filmography
Venture capital
Bevis, along with Blackcraft Cult clothing business owners Jim Somers and Bobby Schubenski, co-founded a coffee company called The Dark Gypsy in September 2015. [212][213][214] In October 2016, Bevis announced that she had withdrawn from the company. [215]
Paige, real name Saraya, launched TheSarayaStore.com in December 2017. Paige also announced that her brand would be expanded to brick and mortar stores. The Saraya Store was officially opened in Anaheim, California on 26 February 2018. [216] Shortly after, Saraya Jade Cosmetics was launched, a cosmetic line. Saraya Jade Cosmetics was launched in November 2018. [217] She partnered with Hot Topic in 2019 to launch an exclusive makeup line. [218]
Personal life
Los Angeles is where Bevis lives. [219] Bull Nakano and Alundra Blayze are some of her favorite wrestlers. [21] Bevis has scoliosis, but she was not aware of it until she signed with WWE. A trainer noticed her back looked “wrong” and advised her to get treatment. [21][220] Bevis was involved in a car accident during her time at NXT and required surgery. [21] Bevis is a proud owner of several tattoos. One is dedicated to her older brother, who she lost when she was 13. [20]
Bevis admitted to having been with another woman on the WWE reality TV show Total Divas. [221] Bevis was first engaged to A Day to Remember guitarist Kevin Skaff, but they broke up in 2016. [222] Bevis was engaged to Alberto Del Rio, a fellow wrestler in October 2016. [223][224] Their relationship ended in late 2017. [225] She has been in a relationship since late 2018 with Falling In Reverse lead singer Ronnie Radke. [226]
Private nude photos and a sex tape featuring Bevis leaked online in March 2017. [227] She replied that she was looking into the future and was happy and that her “mistake” could help others’ futures. [228] She revealed later that she was suffering from stress-induced anorexia and contemplated suicide. [229][230]
Championships and other achievements
Notes
1. Paige has never lost the title in any match. She was forced to give up her NXT Championship in April 2014 after winning the Diva’s Championship. [10][11]
Refer to
