News

Ex-WWE Champion Announces She Is Returning On 4/24 SmackDown

By Monika Thapa • Published Apr 23, 2026 06:00 EDT
WWE Logo Blur Over Paige
WWE Logo Blur Over Paige - Source: WWE.com

Ex-WWE Divas Champion Paige is returning to SmackDown this week.

The Anti-Dive made her shocking return to WWE on April 18, 2026, during WrestleMania 42 on Saturday in Las Vegas. She appeared as a surprise replacement for Nikki Bella, who was sidelined from action due to an ankle injury.

She teamed up with Brie Bella in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship and won the title in her return match. She was not there on the Raw after WrestleMania episode. However, she is going to make her return to weekly WWE television on the April 24 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.

While announcing her Comic-Con appearance at the McAllen Convention Center for this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion also revealed that she will be present at Friday Night’s SmackDown before making her Comic-Con appearance.

She tweeted, “Smackdown Friday then McAllen for my signing Saturday and Sunday!! See you all there!”

Paige’s last appearance on SmackDown was on the May 17, 2016 episode in Greenville, South Carolina, where she lost a singles match against Dana Brooke. Therefore, she is returning to the SmackDown brand almost a decade later.

Paige Gets Emotional After Getting Medically Cleared By Doctors For WWE In-Ring Return

Following her WWE return, Paige posted a very emotional video on Instagram, sharing a clip of the exact moment doctors medically cleared her to return to WWE.

She said in the video, “Know. Yeah, I just got some great news. I am cleared to go home, back to WWE, so I’m very happy. And we got Chris over here. Had my back the entire time. But, yeah, I just, like, got overrun with emotion because I was like, it’s just been a long road for me, dude.

Just trying to get sober and, you know, putting the right people around me, and. And it’s just. Just feels good. And I was stressing out. I was like, there’s no way they’re gonna let me wrestle again. There’s no way. I was really stressed out. It’s just. Yeah, it’s great. It’s good. It’s good news. I can, like, breathe now. I was stressed. I was, like, shaking.”

Make TJR Wrestling your choice for news by clicking here.