WWE took a big but calculated risk Monday night when Paige fired off a deeply personal insult at Charlotte about her deceased little brother, Reid. Though no one named him or discussed the nature of his death (drug overdose), it still was an extremely emotional moment during the Divas Championship contract signing on Raw. Charlotte leapt across the table an pummeled Paige in a pull-apart brawl that rivaled anything the men have done in the past. The decision to use Reids death as fuel for this feud sparked a ton of debate throughout the wrestling community, as fans, writers and others weighed whether WWE went too far or if it gave the rivalry a much-needed shot in the arm. However, things got a little heavier when both of Reids parents revealed that neither was consulted beforehand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAt1kk-632s WWE made a name for itself in the late 90s and early 2000s for shocking angles and sometimes questionable decisions. Since dialing back during the PG era, these moments have become fewer and farther between. While thats a good thing on many fronts, it makes an occasion like this stand out even more. If WWE follows through and keeps the heat on the Paige/Charlotte feud, then it could work really well to inject raw emotion into the rivalry. But if not, then this will be looked upon unfavorably.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.
