Summary

Brie Bella says Paige's WWE return at WrestleMania 42 only started to feel possible once a strange bit of timing brought everyone into the same city at the right moment.

Paige stepped in for Nikki Bella after Nikki suffered an ankle injury, then teamed with Brie to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. The match marked Paige's first WWE bout since 2017, and Brie now says there had not even been real talks in place when the idea first came up jokingly.

How Paige ended up in the WrestleMania 42 spot

Brie explained that the first spark came during a live podcast taping in New York when she casually named Saraya as a dream partner. She said the moment was treated as a joke at the time, to the point that it was cut because she did not want people to think anything was actually in motion.

Things changed once Nikki traveled to Birmingham for surgery and Brie realized she might be off WrestleMania as well. When Brie texted Saraya, she learned Saraya was also in Birmingham, a coincidence that made the situation feel a lot more real. That behind-the-scenes timing adds another layer to the reporting before WrestleMania 42 that Paige was set to replace Nikki Bella.

Quotes

Quote from Brie Bella

"If you were at the live podcast in New York, Becky asked me, 'Who would you pick as a partner who would you pick?' I said Saraya. Then I was like, 'Wait, we're going to start rumors and headlines.' It hadn't even been talked about. We talk to Paige all the time, but it was a joke. We had to cut it from the show because I thought people were going to think we were serious. Literally, Nikki is in Birmingham getting her surgery, and I text Saraya, 'I think I might be out of Mania.' I told her I was in Birmingham with Nikki and she goes, 'Shut up, I'm in Birmingham.' 'What. Nikki is getting surgery?' They were in Birmingham at the same time."

Brie later went on to say:

"It was interesting because she's like, 'I don't know if they'll have me. There haven't been talks.' It was a lot on her because she's like, 'Girl, I'm not even with them yet, but whatever, I'm there.' Paige always rallies with us. I didn't even know it was going to work. To me, it was the stars starting to align that you guys were there at the same time."

Quote from Nikki Bella

"I think when she was flying out, I was just getting to the doctor's office. We just missed each other."

What Paige's return means after WrestleMania 42

Paige winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles in her first WWE match since 2017 made the return more than a one-night cameo, it immediately placed her back in an active championship role. Brie also made clear that Nikki's injury forced WWE to pivot late, so the story around this return is not just nostalgia, it is now tied directly to the women's tag title picture coming out of WrestleMania 42.

Sources

Brie Bella and Nikki Bella on the Nikki & Brie Show