When most people think of female wrestlers, most think of Chyna, who was one of the most popular female wrestlers, but there are many more that you probably wouldn’t recognize unless you were an avid fan.
According to Ranker.com, some of the top female wrestlers include:
- Trish Stratus
- Becky Lynch
- Amy Dumas
- Asuka
- Alexa Bliss
- Charlotte Flair
- Mickie James
- Paige
Of all these wrestlers, the most interesting backstory goes to Paige.
Who Is Paige?
Paige was born into a wrestling family from Norwich, England. Her given name is Saraya-Jade Bevis and in the All Elite Wrestling League (AEW) she went by the name Saraya. When she wrestled on the independent circuit, she used the name Britani Knight. When she went to the WWE, she changed her ring name to Paige, and that is what most people remember her by.
Paige was born into wrestling as part of the popular Knight (their last name was actually Bevis) wrestling family, which includes her mom Julia (Sweet Saraya), father Ricky (Patrick Rowdy Rick Night) and her brother, known by his ring name Zak Zodiak. Many compare the Knight wrestling family to the Hart or VonErich family, who were also family wrestlers from this side of the pond.
Paige’s parents, Patrick and Julia, married in 1990, shortly after they each started wrestling. They started their own wrestling production company, the World Association of Wrestling. In 1992, Paige was born. She first entered the ring in 2005 at just 13 years old and went by the name Britani Knight. For six years, Paige, as Britani traveled through Britain, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France, and Europe, building her reputation as an up-and-comer.
In September 2011, Paige signed with WWE. In 2015 and 2015, Paige was injured and underwent neck surgery in October 2016, putting a temporary halt to her career. She came back for a short period of time, but in December 2017 she had another serious neck injury that forced her to retire from wrestling.
Awards and Accolades:
During her time in the ring, Paige received numerous awards. Here are some important dates in her wrestling career:
- Paige started wrestling in 2005 at the age of 13.
- Her partner Melodi won the new World Association of Women’s Wrestling Tag Team Championship in June 2007 as the Norfolk Dolls.
- At the age of 14, Paige started booking her gigs.
- In 2009, Paige defeated her mom, Sweet Saraya, in a 2-out-of-3 falls match and won the Essex Women’s Championship.
- In 2011, she won the German Stampede Wrestling Championship from Blue Nikita.
- In March 2011, she competed alongside Sweet Saraya and won the Shimmer Tag Team Championship.
- Paige joined the WWE in 2011 and joined Florida Championship Wrestling. She joined forces with Sofia Cortez and coined the name the Anti-Diva Army, but they lost their first match.
- Paige had a winning streak in 2012 and defeated Audrey Marie, Sasha Banks, Emma, Aksana, and Alicia Fox.
- In August she defeated Tamina Snuka and Alicia fox and was the innagural champion of the NXT Women’s Championship.
- In 2014, Paige made her main roster debut after winning the WWE Divas Championship.
- She was named Diva of the Year by Rolling Stone in 2014
Paige continued to wrestle until her neck injuries took her out of the ring. In 2019, a movie was made about her family and time in the ring called Fighting with My Family. Paige was always a fan favorite and Vince McMahon told her the door was always open if she wanted to make a comeback.
