In a revealing interview on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, Paige has disclosed that the two strict conditions WWE’s Nick Khan demanded for her return were a complete medical clearance for her severely damaged neck and a clean drug test. The subsequent hard-earned approval set the stage for her emotional comeback at WrestleMania 42, where she teamed with Brie Bella to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships, delivering one of the most memorable moments of her career, given the circumstances.
“I thought I’d be intimidated by him. But going in there, he’s easygoing. He goes, ‘Two things, your neck has to be okay, and we have to do a drug test.’ I was like, ‘Fair enough.’ I was like, ‘Hey, I can control the drug test.’ I’m clean as a whistle. And so I was like, ‘I don’t know how my neck’s been. It’s been a few years since I got it checked. The last time I got it checked, it was perfect. So I’m not really concerned about it.’ And so, the next week I fly to Birmingham.” – Paige
Paige’s neck nightmare began with a devastating injury that required surgery and three screws for stabilization and ultimately forced her into early retirement. Battling intense pain during recovery, she faced multiple WWE Wellness Policy violations linked to prescription medication and admitted substance abuse. Hitting rock bottom with alcohol and drugs, Paige finally achieved sobriety around 2018, and thanks to her neck recovering, the path was paved for her to return to WWE in 2026 after a run in AEW.
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