Paige says she was not surprised when Nikki Bella turned against her at WWE SummerSlam, revealing that she had already become suspicious of the WWE Hall of Famer's intentions before the betrayal.
The former Divas Champion discussed the Nikki Bella betrayal at WWE SummerSlam during a recent conversation with So Cal Val at Comic Con Wales. According to Paige, the warning signs had been there since WrestleMania 42, when she and the Bella sisters celebrated together after winning the Women's Tag Team Championship.
The betrayal ultimately ended the partnership between Paige and the Bellas and set up a new WWE storyline involving the former allies.
Paige saw the Nikki Bella betrayal coming
Paige admitted that she had already questioned Nikki's intentions before the SummerSlam turn.
Her suspicions reportedly began after the emotional celebrations at WrestleMania 42. While the moment appeared to bring the three women together, Paige felt there was something different about the situation.
That made Nikki's eventual betrayal less shocking to Paige than it was to some fans.
The former WWE star explained that she had a feeling the relationship would eventually break down.
The Bellas and Paige had formed an unlikely alliance
The storyline began after Nikki Bella suffered an injury on the road to WrestleMania 42, leaving the Bella sisters needing a replacement for their Women's Tag Team Championship opportunity.
Paige stepped in.
The unlikely partnership ultimately succeeded, with Paige and Brie Bella capturing the titles at WrestleMania.
What initially looked like the beginning of a successful partnership instead became the foundation for the eventual conflict.
The alliance lasted long enough to create an emotional connection between the characters, making the eventual turn more meaningful within the storyline.
SummerSlam changed everything
The situation finally exploded at WWE SummerSlam.
After the match, the Bellas turned against Paige, transforming what had been presented as a friendship into a new rivalry.
Paige later indicated that she had sensed the betrayal was coming.
That reaction gives the storyline an interesting perspective.
While the turn was designed as a major WWE moment, the person at the centre of it apparently believed the split was inevitable.
Brie Bella's injury complicates the storyline
The SummerSlam developments were followed by another major twist involving Brie Bella.
Brie suffered an injury during the match and subsequently revealed that she expects to be out of action for between three and six months while the injury heals. She also said she would not require surgery and would undergo regular X-rays to monitor her recovery.
That injury significantly changes the immediate direction of the storyline.
Instead of continuing as a three-person rivalry, WWE now has to navigate the angle with Brie sidelined.
Nikki therefore finds herself at the centre of the conflict with Paige.
Nikki Bella now has a new rivalry
The Nikki Bella vs. Paige storyline is now one of the developing angles coming out of SummerSlam.
With Brie unavailable, the focus shifts towards the relationship between Nikki and Paige.
That could give WWE an opportunity to establish Nikki as a more prominent singles antagonist while allowing Paige to become the central figure opposing her.
The history between the two performers also gives the rivalry plenty of material.
Their relationship has now moved from unlikely allies to opponents, creating a straightforward emotional foundation for future WWE programming.
Why Paige's reaction matters
Paige's admission that she was not surprised adds another layer to the story.
In professional wrestling, betrayal angles depend heavily on whether the audience believes the relationship was genuine before the turn.
If the warning signs are visible, the audience can anticipate the betrayal while still enjoying the eventual payoff.
Paige's comments suggest that the WWE storyline successfully created that tension.
The audience could suspect something was coming without necessarily knowing exactly when it would happen.
Sevens Sports Arena analysis
The most interesting element of the Nikki Bella WWE SummerSlam betrayal is not simply the turn itself.
It is what WWE does with the aftermath.
The original storyline appeared to be heading towards the Bellas and Paige working together, but the betrayal has completely changed the dynamic.
Now Nikki has an opportunity to establish herself as the central antagonist in Paige's next chapter.
Brie's injury makes that even more important.
Rather than having the Bellas operate as a unit, WWE can now focus on Nikki's individual motivations and her conflict with Paige.
For Paige, meanwhile, the storyline provides another opportunity to demonstrate that she still has unfinished business in WWE.
The fact that she suspected Nikki would eventually turn also gives her character a degree of credibility within the story.
She was not completely fooled.
She simply chose to trust the relationship until it became impossible to ignore the warning signs.
What happens next?
The immediate focus will be on Paige and Nikki Bella as WWE develops the rivalry following SummerSlam.
Brie's recovery will also influence how the storyline progresses, with the former Divas Champion expected to remain out of action for several months.
For Paige, however, the message is already clear.
She saw the betrayal coming.
Now she has to deal with Nikki Bella as an opponent rather than an ally.
And after everything that happened between WrestleMania 42 and SummerSlam, their next confrontation could become one of WWE's more personal women's division storylines.
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