Paige Thanks Fans After Retiring From the WWE Ring

Monday night's RAW After Mania saw WWE superstar Paige officially announce her retirement, with [...]

By Hannah Barnes

Monday night's RAW After Mania saw WWE superstar Paige officially announce her retirement, with the 25-year-old sharing that she has been effectively sidelined from in-ring competition due to recurring neck injuries.

After sharing her news, Paige took to Twitter to thank fans for their support, posting a photo of a microphone and t-shirt lying in the center of a wrestling ring.

"Completely overwhelmed with the love and support," she wrote. "Thank you everyone. Seriously means so much to me. This isn't the end though. Just the beginning of something special. #ThankYou #ThisIsMyHouse."

WWE also posted a tribute to Paige on Twitter, writing, "A leader. An icon. A trailblazer."

Paige made her announcement in the same building where she made her WWE debut in 2014, claiming the Diva's Championship and making her the youngest woman to do so at 21 years old.

"Unfortunately due to neck injuries I can no longer perform as an in-ring competitor," she told the crowd at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. "This is one of the hardest things I'll ever have to say in my entire career."

Paige thanked "every single female superstar" in the WWE and noted that she was "going to have to go and find something else" outside of wrestling.

It had previously been speculated that Paige's in-ring career was at an end due to her injuries, but Monday's announcement marks the first time that the athlete made it official with an announcement.

Paige was injured during a six-woman tag team match at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island on Dec. 28. She was kicked in the back by Sasha Banks and fell to the ground, unable to get up. Her injury was initially believed to be a stinger, but after testing it was decided that her in-ring career is over.

Prior to her return to WWE in November, she had missed 17 months of action due to neck surgery.

On Jan. 12, Paige posted a photo that indicated she would be attempting to return to the WWE, sharing a shot of herself in-ring and writing, "The comeback is always stronger than the setback."

Paige debuted on WWE's main roster in 2014 and has been named the NXT Women's Champion and a two-time Divas Champion.

Photo Credit: Instagram / @realpaigewwe

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