WWE's Paige Reveals the Country Star Who Paved the Way for Her Return

One of the biggest moments to come out of WrestleMania 42 was when former WWE star Paige made a dramatic return to the ring.

Paige, also known as Saraya-Jade Bevis, returned to the WWE on April 18, with a surprise comeback appearance, replacing an injured Nikki Bella and pairing with Brie Bella to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Paige originally left the WWE in July 2022 after the company didn't renew her contract and went to the AEW, but now, she's back with WWE.

Paige Tells the Story of How She Came Back to the WWE for WrestleMania 42

As it turns out, a country music star helped bring Paige back to the WWE. During an interview on Stephanie McMahon's What's Your Story podcast, Paige talked about her return and said that it began with an appearance on the podcast hosted by Jelly Roll's wife, Bunnie XO.

"Let me tell you the story of how it came to be because it involves Jelly and Bunnie," Paige said on the snow, adding that one of her best friends is Bunnie. "I love that woman so much, we are very very close. She was doing her book tour, she was doing her live podcast, she was in LA so she text me and was like, 'Can you come on?' I was like, 'Absolutely.'"

Paige continued, stating, "So I get there and her manager comes and gets me and she's like, 'You've got a friend in there.' I was like, 'Who?' And I go down there and it's Brad Slater, so that's Dwayne's (The Rock) agent."

Paige said that she's known him for 10 years and that he's a "great guy" and always checks in on her.

"So, he was in there, and he's like, 'It's so great to see you,' gives me a big hug," she continued. Then, Paige said that Jelly Roll chimed in and asked, "When are you gonna bring it back? Give a call to your guy.' And Brad was like, 'Do you want to come back?' And I was like, 'Yeah, I would love to come back.' And then he was like, alright let me make a call."

It's cool to see how something that had nothing to do with wrestling, a podcast appearance on Jelly Roll's wife's show, ended up bringing Paige back to the WWE ring where she belongs. Now, her journey and adventure is continuing in the WWE.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM.