If you're unfamiliar with how the segment works, here is a quick breakdown: Each edition, a wrestler will be put under the spotlight and rated on a 0-100 scale based on 10 categories that have been broken up into 5 umbrella sections: In the Ring Skills, On the Mic Skills, Appearance, Behavior, and Crowd Reaction. The rating scale is as basic as you can get: 0-1-2-3-4 | 5 | 6-7-8-9-10. It follows the Three-Count Critique method of green being the good, yellow being in the middle, and red being the bad. A perfect 100 is the goal.
PAIGE
Update: On March 20, 2020, we did a recalibration of points for a 25th episode special. In that episode, nearly every wrestler saw some adjustments. Below, you'll see the original scores on the left and then the updated score on the right, with the original description for the original score underneath. For explanation on the updated points, check out the 25th edition podcast.
IN THE RING SKILLS
Athleticism: Does the person have a good signature moveset and finisher? Can they perform a wide variety of moves on a regular basis and not botch them?
My Rating = 7
At her peak, Paige was a better wrestler than most of her peers, but I don't think she was as good as some of her successors.
Psychology: The wrestler's ability to tell a story in the ring. Do they make you believe it's real or do they forget to sell their injuries properly? Can they make a long match stay interesting and not get boring?
My Rating = 6
Again, Paige understood how to wrestle much more than the average performer in the Divas era, but I can't recall a single match she had that was absolutely stellar, with the best coming to mind being her match against Emma. This is partially WWE's fault for not allowing it.
ON THE MIC SKILLS
Charisma: If they get a mic, can they cut a promo without stuttering? Are they repetitive or do they keep things fresh?
My Rating = 6
I feel like I'm repeating myself, but for the most part, Paige was better than the average female wrestler on the mic, but still wasn't at the top of the game, and if we're going to give the top scores to people like Roddy Piper, she is nowhere near that level.
Character: Is their gimmick(s) interesting? Can they pull off being both a heel and a face?
My Rating = 5
In retrospect, what was her character? Pale brunette? That isn't a character, that's a look.
APPEARANCE
Physique: Are they in the proper shape for their gimmick or are they out of shape? (note: someone like Mabel isn't supposed to look like John Morrison, but Matt Hardy gaining weight deducts his points).
My Rating = 8
When it comes to the women in WWE, it isn't so much that they look like they can beat someone up, but that they're fit and attractive. Paige certainly had that going for her. She was never my absolute favorite, but I can't deny that she was exactly what they were looking for, for the most part.
Entrance: Their music, the pyro if they have any, whatever taunts or actions they do to make it interesting.
My Rating = 6
I always liked her entrance theme. The little hop to the ring wasn't anything impressive.
BEHAVIOR
Backstage Professionalism: Are they a locker room leader or do they cause problems behind the scenes? Are they bogged down in politics? Do they put other people over or screw people over?
My Rating = 7
I don't remember hearing very many stories about her having problems with losing or anything like that, and I'm suspicious of any heat between people actually being real instead of somewhat fabricated for Total Divas.
Public Relations: Does this wrestler project a bad image onto the company with arrests and such, or are they someone that promotes the company well, does charities, talk shows, etc?
My Rating = 2 / 4
There's no way she gets a positive score with this. Just look at what she had done over a two year span when she was with Alberto Del Rio. Fights. Suspensions. A tattoo she can't show on screen. Leaked sex photos where she used the NXT Women's Championship as a toy. I'm only not giving her a worse score because she didn't do anything racist or kick a baby or something.
CROWD REACTION
Popularity: How loud are the cheers and boos for them? Do they sell merchandise? Are ratings up or down when they're on screen? How many Twitter and Facebook followers do they have?
My Rating = 7
She was pretty popular at her peak, but she was never Bella Twins popular or anything like that.
Credibility: Is this person someone you would see as a main eventer and a future legend or are they doomed to forever be a jobber?
My Rating = 8
Winning a title on your first night is big, and she has two other title reigns to her name, too. If she had been able to wrestle longer, she'd get a better score.
TOTAL SCORE: 62/100 - 64/100
FINAL THOUGHTS: All in all, not a bad score. She's not someone who could be higher up, given the scores that much bigger names have gotten in the past, but she's certainly on the positive side of things. It's a shame the Behavior section really kills her, as do the Character points, but that's just what happens sometimes. Still a thumbs up for a rather short career that could have been much better had she been in the current era instead of that transitional phase, but she was one of the people who helped create that transition, so credit where it is due.
WHAT DID YOUR SCORE TALLY UP TO?
WHO SHOULD WE RATE NEXT?
WHO SHOULD WE RATE NEXT?
LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
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