Paige Set To Return On August 14 SmackDown

Paige has confirmed she’ll be back in action on the August 14 edition of WWE SmackDown, just over a week removed from a brutal betrayal at SummerSlam.

At SummerSlam, Paige teamed with Nikki Bella and Brie Bella in a six-woman tag match against Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid. The trio came up short, and things got worse from there — after the loss, the Bella Twins turned on Paige, seemingly aligning themselves against her rather than standing by their partner.

Paige addressed the fallout and her next move, stating she plans to be on hand for SmackDown on August 14.

The angle marks a significant swerve for a trio that had, up to this point, looked like a natural alliance of veteran stars banding together against the younger, aggressive Fatal Influence faction. Instead, WWE appears to be pivoting toward a Paige-versus-Bellas dynamic, which opens up fresh storytelling possibilities heading into the fall. Paige has spent much of her comeback run rebuilding trust with fans and colleagues after years away from in-ring competition, and a betrayal at the hands of two of the most recognizable names in women’s wrestling history gives her a clear, sympathetic motivation to chase retribution.

It also raises questions about where Fatal Influence fits into the picture going forward. Jayne, Henley, and Reid have been positioned as a disruptive force in the SmackDown women’s division, and their win over a star-studded trio only strengthens their case as legitimate threats. If the Bellas’ turn was motivated by frustration over the loss — or something deeper — it could set up a scenario where Paige finds herself isolated, forced to navigate hostility from both her former partners and the faction that beat them.

For Paige specifically, this is shaping up to be a pivotal chapter in her second act. She’s carried herself as a fighting babyface since returning to the ring, and turning the Bellas into adversaries gives WWE a built-in feud with instant name recognition on both sides. Whether Paige goes after the twins directly, seeks retribution against Fatal Influence, or ends up doing both simultaneously, her presence on the August 14 SmackDown will be the first real chance to see how creative plans to thread that needle.

Expect Paige to address the SummerSlam fallout directly when she appears, whether through an in-ring segment or a backstage confrontation. Given how quickly the story escalated — from tag team victory attempt to betrayal in a matter of moments — WWE seems intent on moving fast with this angle rather than letting it simmer.

As for the Bella Twins, their motivations remain unclear for now. Whether this was a spur-of-the-moment reaction to a loss or a longer-term plan finally coming to fruition will likely shape how fans respond to their new direction. Either way, the SmackDown women’s division just got a lot more interesting, and Paige’s next televised appearance figures to be appointment viewing for anyone following the fallout from SummerSlam.