For the percentage of the WWE Universe that had never seen an episode of NXT, the debut of NXT Women's Champion Paige in her post-Wrestlemania Raw defeat of Divas Champion AJ Lee had to be shocking. British by birth, she received cheers from the many European WWE fans at the live event, and she was heavily hyped on commentary as having a significant in-ring background. Thus, her swift victory over the long-reigning Divas champion was allowed to made sense. However, herein lies the difficult part. It appears as though, moving forward, Paige is to be positioned as a key contributor to World Wrestling Entertainment. But, with a bare bones character, limited microphone skills, and a less-than-supremely talented roster of divas to wrestle, how can WWE display their new star to the best of their ability? There are ten key ways that, in highlighting strengths and eliminating weaknesses, WWE can allow Paige to thrive as a new star, while at the same time not having to over-expose her and potentially expose some of her not so strong suits.
10. Wrestle As Much As Possible
Above all else, Paige is a very talented wrestler. Only 21 years old, she is a seven year veteran of the ring, and the daughter of legendary British wrestler Sweet Saraya. There are long-time veterans of the wrestling industry who talk about "bump cards," and how the body only has but so many bumps it can take before age and time begin to take a toll on one's ability to perform in the squared circle. Given that Paige is very young yet very experienced, this absolutely must be taken into consideration. As both the Divas and NXT Champion, Paige having at least one showcase match per week on WWE television, as well as helping to groom the lesser-experienced talents on the road is an absolute must. Paige's blend of youth and experience must be capitalized upon.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
