Paige is officially a member of the WWE SmackDown roster, ending the free-agent status that had followed her since her surprise return to the company at WrestleMania 42.
WWE has updated its official roster listings to place Paige on the SmackDown brand. Fightful first highlighted the change on September 20, with the move formalising what had already become clear on television: Paige’s WWE comeback is now firmly centred on Friday nights.
Paige’s WWE return now has a permanent home
Paige returned to WWE at WrestleMania 42 after several years away from the company, stepping into the Women’s Tag Team Championship picture and teaming with Brie Bella. The pair captured the titles at WrestleMania, immediately putting Paige back into a prominent role after her long absence from WWE competition.
Despite the comeback, WWE continued to list Paige as a free agent rather than assigning her to Raw or SmackDown. That designation gave her flexibility during the tag title run, but her appearances increasingly shifted toward SmackDown as the year progressed.
Her most recent Raw match came on June 22, when Paige and Brie defended the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. Since then, Paige’s major television programs have played out on the blue brand.
SmackDown has already become Paige’s main WWE brand
The roster change comes after Paige became deeply involved in SmackDown’s women’s division. Her alliance with Brie eventually collapsed into a heated rivalry involving the Bella Twins, with Nikki Bella defeating Paige on the September 11 episode of SmackDown in Mexico City.
Paige has also challenged for the Women’s United States Championship since returning and has remained one of the more recognisable names in WWE’s current women’s roster. WWE itself had effectively presented SmackDown as her home months before the digital roster change, including promoting her return to the brand in April as her first SmackDown appearance in nearly a decade.
The formal move removes any remaining uncertainty over where Paige fits into WWE’s brand structure heading toward the final months of 2026.
What the move means for Paige
Being assigned to SmackDown should make Paige a permanent part of the brand’s women’s division rather than a floating name who can move between shows. It also gives WWE a clearer path for continuing her current issues with Nikki Bella and positioning her for future championship programs.
Paige’s history with SmackDown runs deeper than her current in-ring run. Following her original retirement from competition in 2018, she became SmackDown General Manager, making the blue brand an important part of both stages of her WWE career.
Now back as an active wrestler, the former Divas Champion is officially part of that roster again.
For WWE, the change is largely confirmation of the direction already seen on television. For Paige, however, it closes the free-agent chapter of her comeback and establishes SmackDown as the permanent base for the next phase of her WWE return.
