Wellness policy ban slapped down on same day her partner Alberto del Rio was also suspended.
WWE superstar Paige has been handed a 30-day Wellness Policy suspension on her birthday. The female wrestler was slapped with the month-long ban on the same day her real-life partner, Alberto del Rio, was also given suspension for the same amount of time.Paige, real name Saraya-Jade Bevis, has worked for the WWE since joining their former developmental programme Florida Championship Wrestling in 2011. She joined the main WWE roster in 2014 and has gone on to win the WWE Divas Championship two times. Her most recent match on TV took place on Monday Night Raw on 27 June, where she teamed with Sasha Banks to defeat Charlotte and Dana Brooke.
In a statement posted to the WWE website, the company said: "WWE has suspended Saraya-Jade Bevis (Paige) for 30 days effective tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 18, for her first violation of the company's talent wellness policy". No further information was given and Paige has issued no public statement on the matter as of press time.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that the suspensions of Paige and Del Rio are "curious" on account of them being a couple, but could not say if they tested positive for the same substance or indeed if the suspensions were related. Paige has been out of action in recent weeks with an injury.
Paige comes from one of British wrestling's premier families, with her father, mother and brother all making a living from sports entertainment.
In 2005 her father, Patrick Frary (who wrestles under the name Ricky Knight), and brother Roy Bevis (aka The Zebra Kid), were arrested on charges of falsely imprisoning her mother, Sweet Saraya (real name Julia Hamar). The charges are believed to have been later dropped.
WWE has suspended Saraya-Jade Bevis (@RealPaigeWWE) for 30 days effective Thursday, Aug. 18. https://t.co/88ODUyWxWt pic.twitter.com/0JM3UdqzIx— WWE (@WWE) August 17, 2016
Paige has been suspended for violating WWE’s wellness policy, the company announced. As Cageside Seats notes, Paige’s boyfriend Alberto Del Rio was also announced as being suspended today, and these two news items have very interesting timing considering there have been plenty of rumors and conflicting reports about the couple floating around the so-called dirt sheets.
What’s concrete is that Del Rio and Paige were put on different show rosters – which also have different touring schedules for house shows – at the WWE Draft last month. This cannot not be taken as anything other than a clear sign that the McMahon family and/or Triple H were not psyched about the relationship.
While steroids are usually the first thing that comes to mind when a wrestler is suspended for violating the policy, party drugs and other drugs of abuse are also on the banned substance list; testing positive for marijuana is punishable by fine but not suspension. WWE does not publicly disclose the specifics of failed tests.
