COLOGNE, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 11: Paige during WWE Road to WrestleMania at the Lanxess Arena on February 11, 2016 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Marc Pfitzenreuter/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHIGHLIGHTSA former champion who hadn't competed in WWE in nearly a decade made one of the loudest entrances of WrestleMania 42 weekend.A ringside moment from an injured superstar ended up playing a direct role in the title change.The result sets up a potential rivalry that has been eight years in the making.The reports about Paige's return and her replacing Nikki Bella were true. Paige did return after signing a multi-year deal and she didn't just replace Nikki in the match, she scored the pin that secured the win in the Fatal 4-Way Women's Tag Team Championship match.

Yes, Paige is not only back, but she's one-half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships with Brie Bella. Here's who she is and how WrestleMania 42 went down.Who Is Paige?Paige is one of the most important women in WWE history. She helped usher in the Evolution era that spawned the higher-quality version of women's wrestling that we see today.

Known as "The Anti-Diva," she made her main roster debut the night after WrestleMania 30 in 2014, shocking AJ Lee to win the Divas Championship in her very first Raw match — becoming the youngest Divas Champion in history at 21. Her story was compelling enough to earn a Hollywood film: the 2019 release Fighting with My Family told the story of her journey from a UK wrestling family to WWE superstardom. A serious neck injury at a 2017 live event effectively ended her in-ring career in WWE, but she was later cleared to wrestle in AEW, where she won the AEW Women’s World Championship before returning to WWE on a new multi-year deal.What Happened at WrestleMania 42?Nikki introduced Paige as her replacement on the ramp, even though she tried to throw fans off the trail on Friday night.

The match was decent, but Paige got the pin after she reversed a Twisted Bliss and hit Alexa Bliss with the Ram-Paige before securing the cover. The Irresistible Forces were dethroned in the process. It was Paige’s first WWE match since 2017 — eight years in the making — and the WrestleMania 42 crowd inside Allegiant Stadium gave her everything she deserved when that music hit.What Does This Mean Going Forward?There are clearly big plans ahead for Paige.

The pop she received from fans was clear. We'll see if she is able to continue to resonate with the WWE universe. As for the other teams, it wouldn't surprise me to see Alexa and Charlotte Flair break up.

Lash Legend is ready to be pushed to the next level — we'll see what she gets next. The most intriguing long-term storyline, though, may be Paige and AJ Lee sharing a roster again — the same two women whose 2014 rivalry helped define the pre-Evolution era of WWE women's wrestling are now both back under the same roof.This article was originally published on Forbes.com