On Friday, Paige announced that her time with WWE would end on July 7.
Paige hasn't wrestled since December 2017 due to a neck injury. After her in-ring career was over, she would become the General Manager of SmackDown and a manager along with being a personality on WWE Backstage. She hasn't appeared on WWE TV since March 2020 when she Skype'd into WWE SmackDown.
On her Twitch stream, Paige opened up regarding WWE's decision to not renew her contract.
"I knew it was coming eventually. Getting the, 'Hey, can I call you? I'm at SmackDown though.' I'm like, 'That leaves no room for negotiation. They're probably not going to renew it.' I had a feeling for awhile. I'm appreciative of WWE. They helped me so much, more than just wrestling. They got me a therapist when I was having drinking and alcohol issues. They kept me, even after my neck surgery, just sitting on my ass. I really appreciate that. I feel like I had so much left to give there as someone who can cut a decent promo and do a managerial role. It is what it is," she said. "I'm not leaving because I want to, they just don't want to re-sign my contract. I completely understand. There is no hard feelings."
Paige confirmed that she doesn't have a non-compete clause as her contract would have expired and it's not a release.
"If you don't renew the contract then, I don't think there's any non-compete clause. That's not what I was told on the phone. We're having a normal conversation and it's like, 'So, we're not gonna renew your contract.' I texted Vince (McMahon), he texted back. Everyone was respectful about it. It's a bummer. They are keeping the door open, both Vince and Johnny [John Laurinaitis] said they'll keep the door open, but that's usually what companies say. I do feel if I ever went back, it would make it more special. If WWE ever asked me to do something, it would be that much more special," she said. "There's nothing I can do, I wish I could stay longer. WWE doesn't want to re-sign me. It's not my decision. I don't want anyone to think it's my decision to walk away."
Paige stated multiple times that she was appreciative of her time in WWE and everything they did for her.
In her post announcing she was leaving WWE, Paige stated, "I'm not saying I'll never be in the ring. That day will most certainly come again! Wherever the return maybe."
When asked if she had been cleared, Paige said, "Not yet."
Discussing her neck, she said, "It's so healthy. I feel like I'm the most healthy I've been in my whole career. I feel I can compete again, 1000%."
She said she wants to wrestling again, but not as much as she was wrestling because she was wrestling a lot.
Paige was praised for her work as WWE SmackDown General Manager, but after being removed from the role in December 2018 and being split from The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane), she was no longer a regular on television.
"That's what I don't like. I was sitting around for a long time. I was texting them back in November like, 'what's the deal, do you guys want me to re-sign? I'd rather get the ball rolling than wait until the last minute.' That's the one thing that I personally didn't like, the waiting around for no reason. They weren't using me to my full potential, that's for sure," she said. "I broke my neck twice for this company, just to be let go. I still tried to fight to do something and then to not be told until the last minute left me disappointed. Again, I understand their reasoning why they didn't want to re-new the contract."
Paige said that she didn't like her time being wasted and thought there would be an opportunity to do something. She said that she was constantly contacting them about re-signing and was told, "Definitely, we'll definitely start re-negotiating in January. 'Alright, cool, sounds good.' I would just rather be told straight from the bat."
Paige expressed many times that it was not her decision to leave.
"It's fair, are they going to keep employing me to not do anything for them? There are things I could have done, I just don't think they want to think of it. They want to focus on people that are wrestling," she said while also noting, "I offered to be the voice piece for Ronda."
Asked about going to AEW, Paige said, "Sure, if the money is right [laughs]." She also joked that Twitch is her full-time job right now and that she has thought about opening up a wrestling school.
Paige has been active on Twitch since not being used on WWE TV and said she'll remain on Twitch as her form of social communication.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
