10 Best WWE Network Shows Of 2019 (So Far)

5. Chronicle: Paige

Alexa Bliss
Twitter/@KeepItFiveStar

An unflinching look at a performer on the edge emotionally and physically, Paige's Chronicle is a paradoxical triumph, claiming success as a documentary by capturing the claiming of a young professional's career.

Making the most of the dramatic irony afforded to them, the tension as the days tick by is palpable as the Brit speaks warmly of her intent to get back to best on the main roster after returning at the end of 2017.

Then brought back as the leader of Absolution alongside Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose, Paige had emerged from a troubling year and a half out of action triggered by a neck injury but defined by a problematic private life alongside then-real life partner Alberto El Patron as well as an appalling privacy leak that would have reduced other public figures to a life of hermitage.

This was to be the comeback story until it came to a screeching, devastating halt within weeks. The piece then focuses on failed attempts at recovery before a tear-soaked speech calls time after months of futile wishing and waiting.

Chronicle: Paige's stock-in-trade is devastation, but the overlying message is of optimism, hope, and the importance of moving forward even through the darkest times. To this end, it succeeds beyond even the best possible brief.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett