Breaking Down The Belts: Paige And Brie Bella's WWE Women's Tag Team Championship

The biggest surprise of WWE WrestleMania 42 was the return of Paige, former AEW Women's World Champion Saraya, who teamed alongside Brie Bella to replace the injured Nikki Bella. The pair went on to capture the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship from the Irresistible Forces, Lash Legend and Nia Jax, in a four-way match involving Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, as well as Lyra Valkyria and Bayley.

It was Paige's first time getting physical in a WWE ring since December 2017 after she suffered what was then considered a career-ending neck injury. The match was Brie's first WrestleMania since her initial retirement following WrestleMania 32. The night was meant to be a big comeback for the Bellas Twins, but ended up turning into an incredible moment for Paige and Brie.

The women's tag team division is pretty solid these days, but the four teams involved in the WrestleMania match are still the strongest. There are a few other teams who could be thrown into the mix, such as Women's United States Champion Giulia and Kiana James, as well as the Kabuki Warriors, though Asuka and Kairi Sane could possibly be on the outs. Former women's tag champions, Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY, recently went their separate ways again following Ripley's WWE Women's Championship victory, so the options for who could dethrone Paige and Brie are again strong, but limited.

Looming in the background of the division is, of course, Nikki, who stated during the 'Mania post-show that she underwent surgery for her ankle injury. She responded to a fan on X (formerly Twitter) and said she'll hopefully be cleared in six to eight weeks. Nikki was working heel before the return of her sister, and she's likely not going to take kindly to Paige taking her spot when she's good to get back in the ring.

It's the heel turn of a cleared Nikki that could lead to anyone claiming the Women's Tag Team Championships, but it would make sense for Brie and Paige to drop them back to the current heels in the mix of teams, Legend, and Jax. When Nikki is cleared, the storyline could easily be that Paige somehow, accidentally,  costs herself and Brie the match against the Irresistible Forcey, angering the Bella Twin; or Nikki herself could interfere and take out Paige, without the referee seeing, leading to Jax and Legend reclaiming the gold.

Getting the titles back on the former champions makes sense, as every other team, at least the ones involved in the WrestleMania four-way, are babyfaces. Having a heel team hold the gold while Nikki feuds with Paige, before her eventual reunion with her sister, who also likely turns heel eventually, leaves options open for who captures the gold next. That babyface team would lose to the heel Bellas. It would also be a great look for Legend, who is still new to the main roster, to have held the titles twice alongside Jax, who has only been beneficial to her growth as a wrestler.

Sure, the Bellas could feud with the Irresistible Forces when Nikki is healthy, and they're back as a team, but it just feels like they should also be heels. Turning on Paige would be the easiest way to accomplish not only that, but also getting the titles to change hands while they finish that storyline with their fellow former Divas Champion. After that, Paige can go her own way, likely onward to either the Women's United States Championship or Intercontinental title, and the Bellas eventually win the gold back from whoever wins the tag titles from Jax and Legend.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss deserve another run with the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships before they inevitably go their separate ways into singles competition. This partnership has been the best thing for Flair's character in years, and it was a much-needed refresher for her, so they should hold the tag gold one final time, at least.

Nikki could cost Paige and Brie their match for the titles against Bliss and Flair, and the new champions could reign while the Bellas' storyline unfolds and they get back together as a heel team. The Bellas then winning the gold from Flair and Bliss could then send the babyface team into a breakup angle. Though the breakup may not need to be a dramatic story, it could certainly be an interesting angle that's always much-needed on "WWE SmackDown."

Outside of the tag title picture, after they lose to the Bellas, Bliss could go for the Women's United States Championship, with Flair on the verge of a crash out, but perhaps keeping it together when Bliss actually does win the gold, proving she really has changed. The "will they, won't they" dramatic breakup angle could conclude in a positive way, which would only continue to be good for Flair's character.

No matter who will or who should win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships next from Brie and Paige, that team's fate seems set before their reign even begins. The Bellas Twins will get their tag title reign after Nikki is cleared and kicks Paige to the curb, with their big moment of capturing the gold perhaps taking place at SummerSlam.