10 Most Cringeworthy WWE Backstage Segments

8. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Vince McMahon Stephanie McMahon
WWE

It wasn't Paige's fault that her excruciating introduction to a listless scene from the upcoming cinematic adaptation of her life featured so prominently across WWE's entire output during their biggest and busiest weekend of the year. But one has to wonder if she asked for a second take or even caught a glimpse of the first.

Leaving an uncomfortable gap before delivering an awkwardly breathy rendition of her own name, the bizarre "Paige here!" opener became a hit for all the wrong reasons as the fanbase responded first with confusion, then derision, and finally caustic parody.

Rather tragically, it ended up as her last act as a full-time wrestler. She tearfully retired the night after the 'Show Of Shows' ahead of becoming SmackDown Live! General Manager, already a meme and figure of fun rather than authority as a result of the segment. In hindsight, her less-than-full-capacity delivery could be explained by the emotion at play that weekend - in the moment, it was an all-time worst promo for both the performer and the multiple audiences the segment intended to reach.

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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