Saraya wants to see a women’s tag team division in All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
As Saraya prepares for a tag team match of her own, she was recently interviewed by Forbes to talk about a variety of topics. One such topic being the potential of seeing a pair of AEW Women’s Tag Team Titles in the promotion one day.
The former WWE star explained that, while she doesn’t like there to be too many titles in professional wrestling, she does believe there’s room for women’s tag titles. Especially as it would give some women who aren’t on the show already a chance to get some TV time.
“I’m always for an all-women’s show, for sure. I feel like there could be a tag division we could get going as well,” said Saraya. “Like [women’s] tag team championships.
“I don’t think we should load wrestling with a ton of championships, but there is space for a women’s tag division, too. There are a lot of women we have backstage that are not on the show, and that could give them an opportunity to be on the show.
“There is always so much we could do with the women, and people don’t realize how much talent we have backstage.”
Saraya recently signed with AEW back in September after her contract with WWE expired. Following a string of injury woes keeping her from the ring, she was finally able to return to action against Britt Baker at Full Gear in November, successfully defeating Baker.
Posted December 15th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Saraya.
Saraya is neither confirming nor denying the reports that Sasha Banks will make her debut for AEW next month as her mystery partner.
The former Paige debuted for AEW at September’s Dynamite: Grand Slam and had her first match at Full Gear, defeating Britt Baker.
This also marked Saraya’s first match since a neck injury suffered at a December 2017 WWE Live event ended her in-ring career.
Sasha Banks
During that infamous WWE Live event, Saraya’s injury happened after she took a kick to the back of the head by Sasha Banks.
It was reported this week that Banks is ‘done’ with WWE, after being suspended in May for walking out of an episode of Raw.
During an interview with Forbes, Saraya responded to speculation that the former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion could team with her in AEW.
“I feel like anytime there’s a mystery, everyone always goes straight for Mercedes (Sasha Banks). They’re like—straight away—it’s her! There’s plenty of women out there, I’m not going to say yes or no to anybody, but there’s a lot of exciting prospects for a potential tag partner.”
Saraya.
Saraya and a mystery partner will face AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker on the January 11, 2023, episode of AEW Dynamite.
Banks in Japan
Banks could be in AEW soon enough, but that’s not the only promotion with an eye on the Boss.
All Elite Wrestling’s Saraya will be back in the ring next month as part of a tag-team match.
Saraya joined AEW in September of this year, months after her contract with WWE expired.
At AEW Full Gear, Saraya competed in her first match since December 2017, defeating Britt Baker.
Second Match
On this week’s AEW Dynamite Baker congratulated Saraya on her victory at last month’s Pay-Per-View, and promised that she would not beat her again.
It was later announced that Baker and AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter will team with Saraya, a mystery partner, in the English star’s second AEW match.
Britt offered Saraya tickets to the January 11 episode of AEW Dynamite at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, where the match will take place.
The show is also set to feature the final match in the best-of-seven series between the Elite and Death Triangle, should it be necessary.
Mystery Partner
There’s no word yet on who Saraya’s partner could be, but there are plenty of options available.
Toni Storm seems a likely candidate, given that she lost her AEW Women’s World Championship to Hayter at Full Gear.
On social media, some fans speculated on her partner being Thunder Rosa, who has feuded with Baker and Hayter in the past and reportedly had heat earlier this year with both women.
Others suggested that it could be Sasha Banks, who recently trademarked her real name Mercedes Varnado for entertainment purposes.
Prior to signing with AEW, Saraya felt she “shackled” by the restrictions put on by WWE during her nine-year tenure there. Outside projects often remained limited for WWE Superstars, which prevented “The Glampire” from pursuing certain opportunities or aspirations. However, Saraya did find some leeway to start up her own Twitch channel under her real name, and aid in the production of her biopic, “Fighting With My Family.” Despite dipping her toes into some exciting ventures, Saraya craved more.
Now signed with AEW, Saraya developed more creative and professional freedom, with some future projects already lined up. In an interview with TMZ Sports’ Dean Muhtadi (Mojo Rawley), Saraya hinted at what fans can expect from her in the new year.
Plans For 2023
(AEW)
“I can’t really give away too much. But now I have 100% freedom to do whatever I want. I did all that stuff [before] being shackled,” she explained. “I kind of had to go do that stuff [with approval]. As you know, Mojo, as much as it’s incredible being in WWE, you’re kind of limited to what you can and can’t do outside the company. So you have to like get permission to do things. It was during a pandemic too. Since I was sitting at home and not being used on TV, I was like, ‘I need to try and do something with my life and try and continue to do stuff.'”
“Even though it was limited, I still got things done, which is great. But now that I have no shackles, no nothing, and I have so much freedom, it feels really good to have people approach me — so many production companies approach me. So many book editors [and] production come up to me. There’s just so many different people that [come up to me]”
“Then obviously I work with UTA (United Talent Agency) and stuff like that. They were just like, ‘I can’t believe all these people [approach you]. We don’t even have to ask them to do it. They’re coming to us to work with you’. And I was just like, ‘That feels incredible’ because I got really scared that I was kind of like — I felt like a bum after a while because I was sitting around so much and I hate not working. So, now I’m working constantly.”
“I have like 25 friggin calls today, but I’m just very excited about the future. There’s so much more to come. 2023 is going to be a huge year for sure for Saraya,” she declared.
Saraya previously discussed her ongoing process of writing a book, presumably an autobiography, during a recent appearance at Starrcast V in Nashville, Tennessee. SEScoops was on-site to capture the star’s media scrum, prior to her signing with All Elite Wrestling.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit TMZ Sports and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.
Posted December 5th, 2022 in News. Tagged: Saraya.
Saraya is headed to the dentist’s chair just weeks after her first match in over five years (against a dentist) and yes, she sees the irony there.
On Thursday evening, Saraya noted on Twitter that she just landed home and was going”straight off the plane to the dentist.”
She’ll be undergoing oral surgery, but it’s unrelated to anything that happened in the ring. She’s having her wisdom teeth removed, a procedure that most people recover from within two weeks.
Landed from work. Straight off the plane to the dentist to get my wisdom teeth out. This all start just before I had to wrestle a real life dentist. The IRONY. ?
Saraya has been feuding with Dr. Britt Baker since arriving in All Elite Wrestling. After their match at Full Gear last month, she had positive things to say about her rival. During the post-PPV media scrum, she stated bluntly, “Britt carried me through the whole thing.”
It will be interesting to see if Saraya continues her feud with Baker, or if she moves on to a program with someone else. It’s likely too soon into her run to jump into the title picture. Other heels in the AEW women’s division include Anna Jay, Nyla Rose, Red Velvet, Serena Deeb and Tay Melo.
In an unrelated note, Saraya has been outspoken about wanting to work with Sasha Banks again in the future, which is interesting on several levels. She recently revealed that she spoke with Banks after announcing she was medically cleared to wrestle again.
Just days after Full Gear, Saraya name-dropped Banks again:
Saraya says there is a clear distinction between the woman she is today and Paige, the persona she portrayed in WWE from 2011 until June 2022.
The former WWE Divas and NXT Women’s Champion shocked the wrestling world when she debut at AEW Grand Slam in September. She returned to in-ring action at AEW Full Gear last weekend, her first match since December 2017.
She went through hell to get to where she is today. After battling being forced into an early retirement and battling addiction and other personal issues, Saraya is ready to write the next chapter of her career.
Saraya recently spoke with Chris Van Vliet about a wide variety of topics, including The Rock making a movie about her life, dealing with negativity on social media, her relationship with Sasha Banks and so much more.
Saraya vs. Paige
As she embarks on a new journey in AEW, Saraya about leaving ‘Paige’ behind for good. She has matured in so many ways, she’s simply not that person anymore.
“Saraya is more mature, that’s definitely a big thing.. and sober,” she said. “The thing is, with Paige, she was.. she was this little emo girl teenager, kind of like the anti-teenager phase, and going into Saraya; I can’t imagine myself being that character anymore.”
(WWE)
Saraya is an industry veteran at only 30 years old. She was a teenager when she joined WWE, which is an important factor to consider when thinking about everything she’s dealt with over the years.
Looking back at how her current character compares to Paige, she considers Saraya to be “elevated” and “more grown-up.”
“Paige just didn’t give an F about anybody, not even herself,” she said. “She just cared about.. outside of wrestling, partying, and stuff like that. Where me, as Saraya, I focus on elevating myself, remaining healthy, mentally being happier.”
Saraya sounds like she’s in a great place and ready to lead the AEW women’s division into a new era.
Posted November 26th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Saraya.
AEW’s Saraya went to drastic measures to ensure her debut for the promotion would not be leaked online.
The British wrestler made her debut for AEW at the Grand Slam: Dynamite in September of this year, mere months after her contract with WWE expired.
At Full Gear, Saraya, now medically cleared, had her first match in five years, defeating Britt Baker.
Hiding
Saraya’s debut came as a shock to fans, as there had been no leaks or even reports that she was considering joining the promotion.
Speaking on the latest AEW Unrestricted, the former Paige recalled making sure that nobody would find out, saying she had to hide in a tech closet to avoid being seen.
“There was no toilet in there. There was no AC in there. There’s no mirrors. I was just like sweating, but I was like, ‘This is gonna be so worth it!’”
Saraya.
It has since been reported that WWE’s new regime did make an attempt to bring her back, even offering her the chance to wrestle again.
Working with Renee
Part of Saraya’s decision to join AEW stemmed from being able to work with her former colleagues again, as AEW is home to several ex-WWE talent.
During her tenure on WWE Backstage, the former Divas Champion worked with Renee Paquette, who joined AEW last month.
Speaking about the Canadian broadcaster, Saraya expressed her excitement to work with Paquette again.
“We’re all like bouncing ideas off each other, and she comes up with such good lines for my promo and for backstages. It’s like a whole unit.”
Saraya.
Like Saraya, WWE made an attempt to rehire Paquette under the new regime, the broadcaster has confirmed.
Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, returned to the ring after being out of action for over five years this past weekend at AEW Full Gear 2022.
She suffered a neck injury during a WWE Live Event in 2017 after Sasha Banks connected with a Dropkick. After stepping away from the squared circle, Saraya served as a manager in WWE for the Kabuki Warriors, and was a co-host of the WWE Backstage talk show with Renee Paquette, Booker T, and CM Punk.
Saraya defeated Britt Baker at Full Gear and got a big pop from the crowd at the Prudential Center. A wrestling fan pointed out on Twitter that Saraya’s theme reminded them of WWE Hall of Famer Chyna.
Saraya responded and revealed that Chyna was her inspiration for her ring gear this past Saturday at AEW Full Gear. Chyna passed away in 2016 but was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 alongside Degeneration-X.
Saraya Reveals Britt Baker Carried Her Through Their Rivalry
After AEW Full Gear 2022 went off the air, Saraya joined Tony Khan at the media scrum. The 30-year-old admitted that she was rusty and Britt Baker carried her through the storyline. She said that Britt is an absolute star and helped her a lot during her rivalry.
“I’m stepping out of character a little bit here, but I just feel like, you know with Britt she really carried me throughout this whole thing. Truly, she’s an absolute pro. I was rusty when it came to promos and stuff like that.
Saraya, formerly known as Paige, stepped foot inside of the squared circle for a pro wrestling match for the first time since December 2017 at AEW Full Gear when she battled Britt Baker.
The singles match happened at the pay-per-view event from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It featured Baker targeting Saraya’s neck throughout the match while Saraya was trying to fight from underneath. Baker with a neck breaker then a stomp for 2. Saraya went over with her finisher.
Saraya made her promotional debut at the Dynamite: Grand Slam from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NY. Due to spinal stenosis, Saraya hasn’t wrestled since 2017. WWE didn’t sign her to a new deal a few months ago, and she went on the free agent market in early July. AEW made contact with her shortly after she was a free agent.Saraya has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with AEW.
On the November 9th edition of Dynamite, Saraya confirmed he has been 100% cleared, saying that AEW was her house. This led to a promo battle between Saraya and Baker with Baker saying that she didn’t recall Saraya laying one single brick in AEW. Saraya noted that she fought tough battles publicly and has been wrestling for far longer than Baker.
Saraya accused Baker of getting every opportunity handed to her by AEW President Tony Khan. Saraya ended the segment by announcing the match for Full Gear.
Posted November 19th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Saraya.
Saraya made her debut in All Elite Wrestling at Dynamite: Grand Slam.She will be returning to the ring this Saturday at AEW Full Gear. The PPV will air live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
AEW Full Gear 2022 Preview
Her in-ring career came to a halt after suffering an injury in a 6-woman tag team match at a WWE Live Event. Saraya, fka Paige, spoke with Chris Van Vliet on Insight recently and said she wanted to have a rematch against Sasha Banks one day.
Britt recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about Saraya’s first opponent in the ring in years. The storyline for the match has become Saraya saying that AEW is her house already while Britt has pointed out that she has been with the company since the start.
It’s so progressive for our division. It’s a story-driven match. It’s a very compelling story, and the match is going to be even more exciting.
Baker added that Saraya hasn’t wrestled in five years and that is a long time to be away. She noted that the two do have one thing in common though, their love for wrestling.
She’s been out of the game for five years,” Baker says. “That’s a long time. For all our differences, we have one thing in common—wrestling is our life. We’re going to wrestle like our lives depend on it.
Britt was asked about wrestling Saraya and she said she is ready to deliver this Saturday at AEW Full Gear.
I don’t take this opportunity lightly. It is a challenge I welcome. Saraya is a star. She’s one of the best wrestlers in the world. Not everyone knows Britt Baker.
Having a match with a star of her caliber is the next step I need in my career.
I feel similar to the way I did before the “Lights Out” match against Thunder Rosa. I knew the match had to be excellent. I’m in that position again, and I’m ready to deliver.
Britt Baker is fired up after Saraya “ripped her to shreds” during a promo last week on AEW Dynamite. Saraya held nothing back when she laid out her long, painful journey to getting ‘medically cleared’ after several years on the sidelines due to injuries.
After having a few days to process everything, Baker admits Saraya is a real-life role model with an inspiring story. She aspires to achieve Saraya’s level of worldwide stardom. For now, she wants to make one thing clear: AEW is still her house. The two will clash this weekend at Full Gear after months of build, which began long before Saraya arrived in All Elite Wrestling at Grand Slam.
The former AEW Women’s champion appeared on Busted Open Radio this week to discuss her mentality heading into the pay-per-view.
“It definitely motivated me, because she ripped me apart. She literally ripped me to shreds.”
– Britt Baker on Saraya’s promo (AEW Dynamite, 11/9/22)
“So, I was kind of in shock for a second,” said Baker. “It was very surreal hearing everything she was saying to me. Even everything she went through, that was very real and raw. That’s totally her. Her digs at me aside, this girl is a real life role model. Everything she went through, everything she’s overcome. Now she’s standing in a ring across the top girl in AEW. Hats off to her, but this is my house. And the fans know that. They told you that, this is my house.”
Saraya is a Star
Toni Storm’s Interim AEW Women’s Championship defense against Jamie Hayter has the higher stakes, but Baker vs. Saraya is the most anticipated women’s match at Full Gear.
Baker says Saraya will bring new eyes to AEW, which will help the company’s expansion. She also understands that Saraya may not be angry with her specifically, even though she felt the wrath last week.
“She has her hardcore group of fans,” said Baker. “This girl’s a star. There’s probably that don’t even watch wrestling that watched her family’s movie that want to watch this match because they’re a fan of her and the story. She’s a worldwide star and I can’t take that away from her. Actually, I would like to be what she is one day. But when it comes to AEW, this is my house, you can’t come in to my house and tell me that you laid the foundation. You didn’t lay a single brick.”
“I’m happy that she said every single word she did in that promo, because this is the most fired up I’ve ever been and it’s not every day that I get to stand in the ring face to face and do a back and forth promo with someone. That was really exciting. Even though she was cutting me deep, and she certainly was cutting me deep, it was very motivating, because I did feel how raw she was.
“She was angry and i don’t think she’s angry at me. I think she’s angry at the situation, but what she told me that I don’t have what it takes to be a star, ok well if you meant to say it or not, you said it, because now, all bets are off. You’re cleared, let’s have a match, let’s go this Saturday.”
AEW Full Gear takes place this Saturday, November 18th from 19th from Newark, NJ. The event airs live on pay-per-view.
“That’s what I said [in response to Van Vliet saying Banks and Saraya should wrestle.] I really wanted to have that match with Sasha. I wanted to have that rematch with her, because we have that built-in story. So I really wanted that.”
Saraya added that Banks was one of the first people she told after doctor’s cleared her to wrestle, as The Boss had stressed for years over the injury.
Despite being in different companies, Saraya remains optimistic about a rematch.
“One day I’ll have my match with Sasha [Banks.]”
Saraya.
Banks’ Absence
Even if Saraya was still with WWE, a match with Banks would be unlikely at this time, given the latter’s suspension.
Sasha Banks (and Naomi) haven’t been seen since walking out of the May 16, episode of Raw over a creative dispute.
Speaking about Banks, Saraya said that it is great to see Banks try her hand outside of the ring.
“She’s going down her own path and stuff now, she’s doing her own thing. You don’t know where she’s going to be, she has an exciting life going on right now. I’m very pleased [for her.] She’s building her career outside of wrestling too. It’s awesome.”
Banks has been building her portfolio outside of wrestling, launching her own CBD Oil company with ex-Superstar Kalisto, and appearing in Disney+ hit ‘The Mandalorian.’
Britt Baker
On last week’s AEW Dynamite, Saraya not just confirmed that she is medically cleared, but added that she’ll be facing Britt Baker at Full Gear 2022.
Ahead of arguably the most important match of her career, Saraya had plenty of praise for the former AEW Women’s World Champion.
“Now I get to face Britt [Baker.] I’ve always wanted to face Britt, and in this brand-new company as well. The crazy part is that she’s always been a big fan of mine… She’s a fan of mine so it is cool that I get to have my comeback story with her and she’s so supportive, so I’m excited. I’m excited.”
AEW Full Gear 2022 will take place this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Out of the Ring
Though she is cleared to wrestle, Saraya will not be 100% focused on her wrestling career at this time.
Outside of the industry, the former Divas Champion has plenty of opportunities and projects which she plans to keep working on.
“I’m still focusing on things outside of wrestling and still building Saraya up as the brand, rather than [just] Paige and being a wrestler. I’m still in the mindset of still building that, but it’s so good to be in the mindset that I can do something I’ve been in love with my whole life.”
Outside of wrestling, Saraya has a successful Twitch channel, and launched her own brand of clothing and cosmetics during her retirement.
After going through x-rays, CT scans, and an MRI, Saraya was officially cleared on Halloween. She said she called her parents and was “crying my eyes out.” She sent the picture from her doctor to Paquette. Saraya is clear on what she can and can’t do. She said “I’m not going to get kicked in the back of the head again — which was my fault, you guys. Again, that was my fault.”
Saraya is referring to a house show from December 2017. She was in a six-woman tag match in Long Island. Sasha Banks kicked her really hard and it resulted in a stinger and losing the feeling in her extremities. At the time, the injury was believed to be career-ending.
Saraya Tells Sasha Banks
(via WWE)
One of the first people she texted after being cleared was Banks. “All of that stuff can mentally fuck someone up to like, end someone’s career. All her fans were attacking me and all my fans were attacking her — well not all of them, a small percentage — but they were all attacking each other. (…) They still send me tweets like, ‘I’m so glad Sasha broke your neck’ and people tweeting her like, ‘how dare you end someone’s career?’ She’s not unsafe, it’s just an accident. It happens in wrestling, that’s what we sign up for.”
Saraya read the text that she sent Banks. “I just said ‘Hey sis, I just want to let you know this because I know that this stuff was really tough on you mentally. But my doctor just cleared me and told me my neck is 100 percent ready to go. I haven’t told anyone else, but I know this will make you feel good: I’m back. Haha'”
Saraya says Sasha was over the moon. Saraya said she told her that she doesn’t want her to feel bad anymore. Having the time away was for the best in the long run because she could focus on herself and get healthy and sober. “I just feel like it was meant to be and I healed in record time. It’s been five years and I’m officially back. It’s pretty fucking inspiring.”
Saraya came to AEW in part because for her friendship with Paquette. When she signed with the company, she told Paquette she didn’t 100 percent know what she was going be doing. “I know I’m going there to support the division in some way on TV or behind the scenes. You know, I’m just there to try and help as much as possible. The division’s doing really well, it can always be elevated.” She said that’s why Madison Rayne is there too.
“When I came in, I didn’t really know what the deal was. I knew I was going to be a part of something and I was going to be part of something special. Then, when I got there — the great reaction when I walked out — oh my God! You cannot throw a wrestler out there and tell them they can’t do anything. (laughs) I came to terms with not being able to wrestle anymore and that’s fine.”
“A couple years ago, I did do some x-rays and they were looking great. I didn’t do the full MRI, but I did do the x-rays a couple of years ago. There’s not like the perfect read on your neck. X-rays of the bones, but you can see everything like all the inner workings of your neck; like the important part. You know they can see exactly how much fluid is around there. It’s really crazy how an x-ray works. And a CT. I just did the x-rays, so I was a little nervous about doing the MRI.”
Stone Cold Inspired Her To Wrestle Again
via WWE.com
She thought things looked good, but didn’t want to rush anything. The return of Edge and Stone Cold Steve Austin having a good match without any bumps was really inspiring. After seeing Stone Cold versus Kevin Owens, she thought “I could do a Stone Cold match.” She told Tony Khan her idea. He told her that they did tag matches with Sting and suggested doing that for her, but she wanted a singles match if she came back.
Saraya clarifies that Dr. Sampson didn’t “clear me for anything.” She said when she first went out there with Baker, she didn’t ask for clearance. He advised her not to take a bump. If she wanted to wrestle, she would have to have x-rays, MRIs, and CTs. Saraya agreed, but didn’t want to see a doctor associated with wrestling because “there’s a little bit of bias there. I don’t want to make the same mistake where I came back and I was like, wrestling every single day and just doing all these crazy things. I really want to be aware and careful of my neck this time. I want to get to the nitty gritty of what my neck looks like and if I’m even going to be paralyzed because that would be the biggest scare that if I did wrestle, I could potentially get paralyzed.”
Saraya Gets Medically Cleared with No Restrictions
(AEW)
On Halloween, Saraya went to a doctor in California. He has seen patients that compete in the NFL, NBA, and actors and actresses that are action stars. She thought he was perfect because he’d tell her no if he didn’t think she should wrestle and also his job would be on the line if he cleared her when he shouldn’t have.
Although her x-rays looked good, he said “we still have to triple check.” She went downstairs for the MRI and across the street for CT scan and then brought them back in the same hour. Upon hearing the news that she was cleared, she burst into tears. She said she started asking questions like, ‘what about the fluid in my neck?’ The doctor told her the fluid was back and her “fusions look perfect. There’s no fractures above and below, there’s no issues.”
He also told her that paralysis is rare. “If you get kicked there, you have some cushion now.” He advised her to take time if she isn’t feeling well. When she asked how many matches she can have, he told her “let’s take it easy. Like, one match a month and then gradually start building up.”
Full Gear is live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on Saturday, November 19.
Posted November 10th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Saraya.
Ever since debuting in AEW, everyone has wondered if Saraya is cleared to wrestle. She has gotten physical a few times since being in an AEW ring. It was reported that she was clear, but Saraya would not confirm it.
On last week’s Dynamite, Saraya had a sit-down interview with Renee Paquette. They were supposed to be joined by Britt Baker, but she didn’t show. When Paquette asked her for her status, Saraya answered that she was saving it for next week because “there’s one more doctor I’ve got to see.”
Saraya Has Her First Match in AEW
During tonight’s Dynamite, Tony Schiavone led a segment with Saraya and Baker. It quickly devolved into a back and forth with plenty of WWE references.
Saraya announced that she was cleared right off the bat. She had MRIs, x-rays, and CT scans. “And unfortunately…for Britt, I’m a 100-percent cleared!”
After detailing her journey in the wrestling business, Saraya focused on how Baker was handed everything by Tony Khan. “Here’s another opportunity handed to you on a silver platter. This is going to be my comeback story and this is going to be the biggest match of your career. It’s going to be you versus me at Full Gear!”
AEW announced another title match for Full Gear during this week’s episode of Dynamite.
Thunder Rosa was the AEW Women’s Champion heading into AEW All Out in September but announced that she was pulling out of the event due to an injury on the Dynamite before the PPV. She has not appeared on AEW television since. Toni Storm went on to win the Interim AEW Women’s Championship at All Out by defeating Jamie Hayter, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker in a Fatal 4-Way.
It was announced tonight that Toni Storm will put the AEW Interim Women’s Championship on the line against Jamie Hayter at Full Gear on November 19th. The PPV will air live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
A video package aired during the show and Toni Storm noted that she and Jamie go way back. She noted that the two actually lived together during the pandemic.
A lot of people don’t know this, but me and Jamie Hayter go way back. During the pandemic, me and Jamie actually lived together in England.
So we spent a lot of months together, and we became best friends. If anything, we became like sisters.
I knew straight away that we weren’t friends anymore. It is very obvious that she is Britt’s (Baker) friend now.
Toni Storm on her friendship with Jamie Hayter
Jamie Hayter then responded that she hasn’t changed at all.
I’m the same old Jamie Hayter that I’ve always been. Maybe people just didn’t notice who I was before.
Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter are set for a tag team match on Rampage this week. Britt was supposed to sit down with Saraya and Renee Paquette for an interview but didn’t show up. Renee asked Saraya if she was cleared to wrestle but she didn’t answer. Saraya said there is one more doctor she needs to check with (Britt Baker) next week on Dynamite.
All the different list of famous drs you guys are tweeting at me are killing me ???
Emma made her return to WWE last night at SmackDown. Ronda Rousey issued an Open Challenge for the SmackDown Women’s Championship and Emma answered the call.
The 33-year-old put up a good fight but in the end The Baddest Woman on the Planet retained via submission after locking in the Armbar.
Ronda was supposed to have the Open Challenge last week on SmackDown but decided not to as an insult to the fans.
Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, took to Twitter to congratulate Emma on her return. Paige and Emma were instrumental in beginning the Women’s Revolution in WWE, along with The Four Horsewomen.
Saraya debuted for All Elite Wrestling at Dynamite: Grand Slam. The 30-year-old arrived after Toni Storm retained the AEW Interim Women’s Championship in a Fatal 4-Way.
After the match, Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Serena Deeb attacked Toni Storm and Athena in the ring. Saraya’s music hit and she made her way down the entrance ramp as the heels retreated.
Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker and Saraya recently brawled on Dynamite and may be setting up a match for November 19th at Full Gear. Britt and Saraya are set for an interview moderated by Renee Paquette on next week’s episode of Dynamite.
Renee Paquette, formerly known in WWE as Renee Young, recently signed with All Elite Wrestling.
She appeared several times during this week’s episode of Dynamite. Renee was set to interview Saraya, formerly known as Paige, when Britt Baker interrupted.
Britt and Saraya traded words until Renee shut them both up. Paquette said that they were going to do this properly if they wanted to talk about it and Britt stormed away.
Saraya debuted in All Elite Wrestling last month at Dynamite: Grand Slam. Toni Storm defeated Britt Baker, Athena, and Serena Deeb to retain the AEW Interim Women’s Championship. After the match, the heels attacked and Britt set up for the Lockjaw on Storm. Saraya’s music hit and Britt retreated with Jamie Hayter, Rebel, and Serena Deeb.
Bayley is currently involved in a bitter rivalry with RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. The Role Model battled her for the title in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules but came up short. Bayley defeated The EST in the main event of RAW. A repackaged WWE Superstar interfered in the match and it led to Bayley picking up the victory.
After Renee Paquette put an end to the bickering between Saraya and Britt Baker on Dynamite, Saraya took to Twitter and claimed that she loves “spicy” Renee.
Bayley responded and said that Renee was in “a bit of a pickle”. Saraya then joked that she needed some “damage control”. Bayley is currently the leader of the Damage CTRL faction with Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY & Dakota Kai.
Saraya is opening up about injuries forcing her into retirement in her mid 20’s, feeling “completely useless” when WWE wouldn’t use her for three years and refusing to give the company a cut of the revenue from her lucrative Twitch channel.
She discussed these topics and more on the latest episode of Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast. Saraya signed a WWE contract in September 2011 when she was just 19 years old. She accomplished a lot during her time in NXT and WWE, but was forced to retire in 2018 due to serious injuries to her neck.
Jericho asked how it felt to know her in-ring career was cut short at such a young age.
“Awful,” she said. “The only thing is that I was in a better mindset, because if it was a couple years before, I would have spiraled 100%, but at that point, I was just like, ‘You know what, I can’t hit rock bottom again, I can only continue and try to do other things.’
But then, I got to be GM and I loved it, but that kind of got cut short as well, and I never really understood why, because it was a great gig. I feel like everyone liked it, I never got anything negative from it, it was just shocking.
Road Dogg called me the day before I was supposed to fly out, and then he was just like, ‘So, we’re probably not going to do the GM thing anymore, so you won’t have to come to work tomorrow.’ Then, he decided that I was going to come and do a goodbye speech as GM, which I thought was really sweet. So, I end up flying in, doing that first segment of the show and flying back and then I was sitting on my ass for years. Still under contract, doing absolutely nothing.”
Feeling Useless When WWE Wouldn’t Let Her Work
“I ended up sitting in my house for like 3 or 4 years. That’s the most depressing thing. You just feel like you’re completely useless.”
– Saraya
Saraya was devastated when WWE relieved her as General Manager. The role gave her something to do on camera outside of the ring. When that fell through, she wanted to contribute in other ways. She pitched many ideas, including being a brand ambassador or a manager, but the company gave her the runaround.
“I remember contacting them and being like, ‘If you want me to do media, I can do that, if you want me to do this, I can do that, if you want me to do managerial work, I think Ronda needed a mouthpiece at the time, I was constantly pitching these different ideas. I was like, ‘I can do these things, I’m available, just let me know.’ But I ended up sitting in my house for like 3 or 4 years. That’s the most depressing thing. You just feel like you’re completely useless and then you can’t go and do anything else, because you’re under a contract where, even though you’re an independent contractor, you still need permission to do stuff, and then it would get turned down.”
Twitch
Absolutely not. You can get Vince to call me if you want, but I’m not giving you my Twitch, there’s no f*cking way.
– Saraya
Saraya was not content just sitting at home and doing nothing. WWE wasn’t giving her anything to do, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. She joined the Twitch streaming platform. Saraya’s Twitch account took off and she made a lot of money interacting with her fans online from the comfort of her home.
That sounds like a great setup, until she got a call from Vince McMahon’s assistant who said WWE wants a cut of her Twitch earnings.
“It used to really get to me a lot, I never used to be vocal about it until they tried to take my Twitch away. I was just like, ‘There’s absolutely no way you’re going to take my Twitch away from me.’ Vince’s assistant at the time called me, he only did one phone call, and he was just like, ‘Well, you need to give us a percentage of this.’ If I had spoken to Vince, he would have been way more chill about it, I believe, but his assistant just had a fucking stick up his ass.”
I was frustrated. I was like, no way. Not only did I break my neck for you guys twice, for this company, but you don’t let me do anything. So I’m not earning this extra money that I would get if I was on the road doing media and all that kind of stuff. So I was like, this is what I’m doing. It’s keeping me sane. In the end, I just said, ‘Absolutely not. You can get Vince to call me if you want, but I’m not giving you my Twitch, there’s no f*cking way. ‘
Listen to Saraya’s appearance on the Talk is Jericho podcast:
Saraya made her AEW debut during the September 21 episode of Dynamite and received a hero’s welcome. Though her arrival in the company wasn’t free of controversy. A lot of people questioned her decision to leave WWE behind despite them keeping her employed after her injury. The first promo she cut after joining the company also attracted negative reaction.
The newest AEW star addressed all this during her appearance on Talk Is Jericho. She first explained that it was WWE that let her go. According to her, fans should be happy that she found another place to continue her career:
“They call us traitors and stuff like that. But I’m like, ‘Well, they didn’t renew my contract. I don’t know what to tell you.’ It’s not as if I just left the company.
We left on good terms and it is what it is. But, I feel like people should be happy that there’s other companies out there that are just as big and getting bigger.” said Saraya, “There’s so many different places that all your favorites could potentially go and build a career. You’re not having to just focus on one company anymore. I just feel like that’s wonderful.”
‘You Guys Need To Chill’ : Saraya
Saraya then addressed her controversial promo from the September 28 Dynamite. The former champion had claimed during the show that it was good to finally have a boss that listened to her. This remark attracted negative fan reaction with people accusing her of not being grateful for the opportunities in WWE. Speaking about the promo and the fallout, the wrestling veteran explained that it was about how the creative process in WWE often led to frustration:
“Then they were mad at me because I said a boss that listens to me about the division. Because Hunter listened to me, he always did. He was always wonderful. That’s why I liked working with him in NXT. He’s the one that helped me when I first got to the main roster, but it can get a little frustrating at times being there as you know.” said Saraya, “You feel like you’re throwing ideas and stuff like that and seeing what sticks and then you end up just sitting in catering or you end up sitting at home. That’s the thing that became really frustrating.
Whereas I threw an idea at Tony, and straightaway he was like ‘Let’s give it a try. They can either like it or hate it, but we’ll give it a try.’ I really appreciate that. So I said that in a promo like, ‘Alright, A boss that listens to me.’ [It was like], Oh it’s the worst thing I ever said. It’s like I literally came over to their house and set their family on fire. It was like the worst thing ever. I was like, ‘Oh my god! you guys need to chill, it’s not that deep.'”
Saraya is the latest wrestling star to jump ships from WWE to AEW. While the new WWE regime under Triple H did try to bring her back into the company, she ultimately made the decision to join the rival promotion. According to the female star, there were two AEW stars who convinced her to join the organization.
The former Divas Champion recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho. Discussing how her AEW deal came together, Saraya revealed that it was the duo of Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley that convinced her for the move:
“People ask all the time, they’re like, so how did that come about and stuff like that. I was like, you know what? It’s a mixture between Jericho and Mox. They were like calling me about it. They were so awesome. They said you’re just gonna be happy.”
‘I Was Really Excited To Try Something New’: Saraya
Saraya later explained the reasoning behind her call to join Tony Khan’s promotion instead of going back to WWE. According to the former champion, she is really excited to try something new at this point in her career:
“It was like a mixture. I was like, ‘What do I do? Do I do WWE? Or do I go to AEW?’ And I was like ‘I just feel like I’m at the stage in my life where I’ve done so much with WWE and I’m thankful for that. But AEW is this company where there’s so much behind the scenes that people don’t see.’ I feel like there’s like this camaraderie, if that’s the right word. It is so relaxed back there too.
I was just really excited to try something so new and then like with a division that’s completely new too. As much as I love the girls, like I saw Charlotte literally minutes before I got here and I was like, ‘I miss you ladies,’ but I’m so excited to be in such a fresh [environment].”
Former WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon and former Talent Relations head John Laurinaitis passed on renewing Saraya’s contract when it expired.
Fightful Select has a new report regarding the WWE departure of Saraya, formerly known as Paige. When she was informed of the news that WWE wasn’t going to re-sign her, she went public with her statement. Saraya’s WWE contract was surprisingly low, and many of her outside projects were restricted to some degree.
It was said that while Saraya was on the shelf for the majority of the last five years, there were “some confusing messages sent regarding about her physical status, ability to wrestle, and the way that things went down.”
WWE’s Offer
(AEW)
The new WWE regime did offer her the role of General Manager a month after her deal was not renewed. When the regime made that offer, she was told that if she ever wanted to return to in-ring action, the company would help make that happen. There had been rumors of WWE getting Saraya multiple doctors to get her medically cleared, but this report dismissed it and said WWE didn’t go to the extent of getting her checked out for an in-ring return.
Instead, Saraya went through three extensive health checks herself to gain clearance. WWE reportedly was not interested in bringing Saraya back before the new regime. Also, that regime wouldn’t sign off on X-rays to have her examined. The case of her wrestling again was said to be closed as far as the old regime was concerned.
When Triple H took over, his regime did make efforts to get Saraya back into the mix, as there is a positive relationship between the two sides. Triple H was reportedly said to be shocked when the old regime did not renew Saraya’s deal.
Ultimately the freedom to do outside projects without giving up a cut in pay, and other contract terms, led to Saraya going with AEW instead of returning to WWE.
Saraya has revealed why she wasn’t on this week’s episode of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Dynamite.
Some fans were confused as to why AEW’s newest signing wasn’t on this week’s episode of Dynamite. However, Saraya took to Twitter to explain that she wasn’t on the show this week because she had to make a trip home to the U.K.
It should be noted that Saraya’s uncle, Julian, passed away earlier this month. Saraya did note that she’d be back for next week’s episode in Cincinnati.
Sorry!! I’ll be back in next week in Cinci. Had to take a trip home to UK! https://t.co/2n6Tydie5x
The 30-year-old began her professional wrestling career back in 2005. She signed with WWE in 2011 under the ring name “Paige.” In perhaps one of the most memorable main roster debuts in recent memory, Paige debuted on Monday Night RAW the night after WrestleMania 30.
She congratulated then-champion AJ Lee on her successful title defense the night before, but after Lee slapped her, this lead to an impromptu title defense in which Paige actually won. Paige also held the NXT Women’s Title at the time.
(AEW)
Unfortunately, Paige’s career was plagued by injuries throughout her WWE run, as the last few years of her time with the company resulted in no in-ring competition due to her inability to get cleared medically.
However, after her contract with WWE expired earlier this year, Saraya opted to sign with AEW, who has since medically cleared her for in-ring competition.
Posted October 13th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Saraya.
Saraya has hit back at claims that AEW is acting “unethically” by clearing her for in-ring competition.
The former WWE Divas Champion was recently cleared to wrestle nearly five years after her last match. On last week’s AEW Dynamite, Saraya got physical for the first time in years, confronting Dr. Britt Baker. Some ‘medical experts’ on social media have accused AEW of negligence and acting without Saraya’s best interests in mind.
On Twitter, one user claimed that Saraya was not cleared by 15 doctors during her time with WWE. They added that Dr. Sampson, AEW’s resident physician, has been accused of “numerous unethical decisions.
The Twitter user, who calls themselves a “reality check” for wrestling, provided no names of doctors nor any of these alleged unethical decisions.
In response, Saraya said that the claim of 15 doctors is “straight up lying for clicks.”
She added that Dr. Sampson says lives, and shared a tweet from Jerry Lawler. It was Dr. Sampson who saved the WWE Hall of Famer’s life in 2012 after he suffered a cardiac event during an episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.
I’ll bite on this because… Bro. You just straight up lying for clicks. Tf. 15 drs?!?! I learn something new about myself everyday on here. Insane. Hahahaha also you’re getting your Drs mixed up because Dr Sampson saves lives. https://t.co/ZiTTo3hHGgpic.twitter.com/8vwhokdJQp
Saraya’s last match took place at the December 26, 2017, WWE Live event inside Madison Square Garden.
During a six-woman tag-team match, Paige took a stiff kick from Sasha Banks which resulted in the match being stopped, the latest in a long list of injuries the former Divas Champion had been dealing with.
On the WWE Raw after WrestleMania 34 in April 2018, Saraya (then Paige) announced her retirement and became the General Manager of SmackDown later that week.
Posted October 10th, 2022 in AEW, News. Tagged: Saraya.
The promotion most recently added Saraya (formerly known as Paige) to their talented roster, one that already includes Britt Baker, Athena, Jade Cargill, Serena Deeb, Madison Rayne, Riho, Nyla Rose, Kris Statlander, Penelope Ford, Anna Jay, and a ton of rising stars like Willow Nightingale, Red Velvet, Leyla Hirsch, Jamie Hayter, and Skye Blue.
When looking at the top merchandise sellers for AEW the most common names, like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, MJF, and Orange Cassidy sit at the top, with some hotter acts like Danhausen and The Acclaimed working their way up. However, the top selling female star is not who you may think it is.
Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida Is The Best Female Merch Seller For AEW
According to the ShopAEW numbers (thanks to a report by WrestleNomics), Hikaru Shida currently sits among the top sellers for AEW, and is even outselling Saraya, who debuted a few weeks ago, and Britt Baker, arguably the company’s most featured star. Shida’s appearances in AEW have been scattered since she lost the title to Baker at Double or Nothing 2021, but she is set to compete this Wednesday in tag team action, which will be AEW’s debut show in Canada.
Shida defeated Nyla Rose at Double or Nothing 2020 to become the third-ever AEW women’s champion. Unfortunately, the entirety of her title reign was in front of a few fans due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite her scattered use Shida continues to remain one of AEW’s most popular stars.
