Smackdown Live GM Paige was today’s guest on Chasing Glory with Lilian Garcia. Paige was deeply reflective and opened up to host Lilian Garcia. The two time Divas Champion talked about a number of newsworthy subjects including her career ending injury, the Divas stigma, the Brie Bella/Liv Morgan incident, whether she blames Sasha Banks for her career ending injury, Alberto Del Rio’s comments and more.
(Transcription credit to Michael McClead for WrestleZone.com)
Paige On WWE Evolution & The Advancement Of Women’s Wrestling Without Her In The Ring:
It makes me really sad obviously because – I mean I love wrestling, wrestling’s been my life completely. So, it does make me really sad; but, at the same time I can’t help, but be happy for everybody because I’m like you know what it’s so good to be a part of it whether I’d be on commentary, whether I’d be on the GM stuff, I get to watch it and I know that me and a few others helped kick start the whole thing in the first place. I’m happy; but, it’s kind of a bittersweet thing. There’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t get back the ring, so why do I dwell on it? Why do I have to be sad constantly?
On Suffering Complete Paralysis Inside The Wrestling Ring:
I got the kick, wasn’t a [unintelligible] fall. My neck wasn’t a strong as it was before. I was the one who called that move in the first place, so I end up getting complete paralysis in my body, temporary paralysis. I’m laying the ring and I could feel it. I just knew it. Laying there I was like, ‘This is it. I’m not wrestling anymore.’ And I felt it. I already knew. I had never had that…in both my arms and both my legs, I couldn’t feel anything, nothing at all. I just laid there and I’m not in pain. I was just so upset that I just started crying and the trainers were there and Jamie Noble was there and I looked over at Jamie and was like, ‘This is it. I’m done.’ I was so sad. They were like, ‘We brought a stretcher,’ and I said, ‘Please, I don’t want to go out in a stretcher. This could be my last match ever. I want to go out walking.’ I was there for like five minutes in the ring. It felt like an eternity; but, it was five minutes and then I started getting feeling back and the doc goes to me, ‘You get to walk,’ and I was like, ‘Absolutely.’
On The Severity Of Her Injury & What Damage In-Ring Impact Could Do To:
So I go see Dr. Maroon and he was very cool about it. He was like, ‘Look, your spinal cord pretty much has the same impact as a severe car crash. Around your spinal cord you have that fluid. There’s no fluid around the top and the bottom.’ He was like, ‘If you get one more kick, one more whatever, you will be permanently paralyzed. You are very lucky you weren’t paralyzed in the ring that moment. You are extremely lucky. I don’t know how you aren’t paralyzed right now. You have two options; but, they both end the same. You could retire right now or you can have another surgery where we take out the three screws, the fusion that you had, or put in some [unintelligible] in your neck, but ultimately you will be retiring too. I’m gonna give you the option; but, I will not allow you to be back in the ring again.’
On Breaking The News To Her Parents & Vince McMahon’s Reaction:
I just called my mom and dad and I just broke down. I couldn’t stop sobbing. I was sobbing. Everything I knew my entire life, like literally for 26 years all I’ve known is wrestling and for it to be ripped out of my hands just like that – and it’s no one’s fault, it just comes with the business sometimes, like spinal stenosis with Edge and Stone Cold, it happens. For it to be cut short, it’s devastating. It’s horrible. My dad was just crying and he was like, ‘Everything is gonna be OK sweetheart. You’re gonna do bigger things now. Don’t worry this isn’t the end of your story,’ and I was like, ‘Thank you dad.’ That same day, I was just devastated, Hunter called me to make sure I was OK. I went to work and Vince [McMahon] gave me a big hug and said, ‘We’ll look after you. We just want you to look after yourself first.’
