WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has provided many a respected opinion over the years, and in the latest blog post on his official website, he has given his thoughts on NXT Diva Paige and why, in his opinion, she is not yet ready for the main roster.
Back in April, when asked about the progress of both Paige and Summer Rae, JR stated that he felt both women needed “more time in NXT”.
Now he has spoken out again after receiving messages on Twitter regarding his stance on Paige following her impressive advancement to the NXT Women’s Championship tournament final.
JR said that he believes, despite Paige’s experience, her age is still an issue. He made this perfectly clear in response to a fan earlier this month:
“@RobbieS83: @JRsBBQ @MrKrisMark I find this Q&A totally disrespectful 2 "paige" Talk about demoralising a person”. She's excellent. Just 20
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) July 20, 2013
Fast forward to today’s blog post, and Jim has clarified and defended his opinion on the “Diva of Tomorrow”. He stated:
“Amazing how when people ask an opinion of a NXT talent and I provide it, then it becomes a manure storm on Twitter because I merely expressed how I felt per their question. Amazing times that we live in, right? I was asked if NXT’s Paige was ready for the next level and I simply said ‘No’ because she was only 20 years old and needed more time in development before being elevated to the main roster. One can’t even rent a car in the USA until they are 25 and, no, I’m not suggesting that the talented Paige will be in development for that length of time. Point is, I am of the belief that 20 year olds don’t belong on the main roster unless it’s a rare exception.”
Could Paige be that rare exception? It wouldn’t be the first time a Diva or Superstar had debuted aged 20 or younger. Back in 2006, Kelly Kelly debuted on ECW at 19 years old. In terms of Superstars, Kenny Dykstra also debuted in the WWE at age 19 in 2006. He even went on to win the WWE World Tag Team Championship less than a month after his 20th birthday.
You can read JR’s entire blog post by clicking here.
Do you think Paige’s age should impact whether or not she is called up?
