Paige was scheduled to respond to Nikki Bella on last Friday’s SmackDown, but the segment was cut entirely from the live broadcast.
PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that the promo had been part of the show’s plans but was pulled due to “logistical reasons.” Johnson did not elaborate on the specifics behind the decision.
The Wrestling Observer added that the segment had been slated to air ahead of Tiffany Stratton vs. Jacy Jayne for the WWE Women’s United States Championship. After SmackDown went off the air, WWE released the promo as exclusive social media content.
Paige reacted publicly to the situation, stating:
“You’d think you’d want women to have segments instead of being cut. You’ve always been full of shit. It’s alright I’ll just see ya in person next week bb ❤️”
The cut comes just over a month after SmackDown reverted to its two-hour format on March 7. While there’s no confirmation that the shorter runtime directly led to the promo being pulled, WWE is once again working with a tighter window to fit in matches and segments.
Paige wasn’t the only talent bumped to digital content after the show. WWE also posted a segment in which Nick Aldis booked Blake Monroe vs. Giulia, along with a new tease from Shinsuke Nakamura regarding his future partner against the MFT.