Backstage Reaction To Sasha Banks After Paige Was Forced To Retire, Former WWE Star Comments

At only 25, former WWE Divas Champion Paige is unfortunately forced to retire from in-ring competition after a series of head- and neck-related injuries over the past few years. In 2015, she suffered a mild concussion, and in 2016, her mother Saraya Knight confirmed that she had a neck injury.

At a house show on December 27, 2017, Paige had a spot where she turned her back to Sasha Banks, and Banks held the top ropes to execute a double front kick to her back. Paige tried to continue the match, but collapsed, and the referees threw the “X” sign and immediately stopped the match.

WWE announced on Raw that Paige will not be competing in the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match. Until Creative has something else for her, be it a manager for a male talent or some kind of backstage role, she will be continuing to manage her fellow Absolution stablemates, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose.

Backstage Reaction To Sasha Banks

After the house show event that forced Paige to retire from in-ring competition, Sasha Banks lost a match on Raw to Sonya Deville. Whether this is a result of the spot she did to Paige is unknown, although several names have said that it is a typical spot that unfortunately led to Paige ending her in-ring career, and Banks should not be penalized for what happened.

Here are the highlights of the Banks vs. Deville match.

Sasha Banks vs. Sonya Deville: Raw, Jan. 15, 2018

However, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a few wrestlers backstage thought it was a bad idea. One wrestler stated that if the spot was not planned, it would be Banks’ fault. However, reportedly, the spot was planned.

Former WWE Star Comments On Incident

At least one former WWE star, Simon Dean, is defending Banks, as he explained in a recent Facebook post that occurrences like what happened to Paige are unfortunately that nature of the business.

“I have never met Paige in my life but she seems like a very talented and passionate girl. Now her in ring career is apparently over at the young age of 25. Accidents, injuries and bad things occur in professional wrestling and during professional wrestling matches. I have seen several suggestions that her opponent that night was careless and injured her, I guess on purpose or just recklessness. Most wrestlers career ending injuries take place over a series of bumps and a length of time. Paige has actually been in the business for well over a decade I believe. Injuries and shortened careers are something that all of us face every time we step into the ring. True fact, a few weeks ago I actually went to the hospital one day because I had tingling and a loss of feeling on the left side of my body. I’ve had it for some time now. I was a bit worried so I got checked out. Turns out I have several nasty bone spurs and ruptured vertebrae all up and down my spine. It sucks and I’ll need a surgery one day for sure. It’s the price I paid to live the life that I lived. And if you ask me again if I would do it all over again, in a minute I would say absolutely! I’m sure Paige would say the same thing. Blaming anyone for her injuries is incorrect and just stupid.”

Follow Chris Featherstone on Twitter @chrisprolific, and the Pancakes and Powerslams Show @cravewrestling.