AEW Star Saraya on Her ‘Incredible’ Return to Ring & Performing on Grand Stage at ‘All In’

Anyone on the roster will tell you how big the All In pay-per-view is for All Elite Wrestling. The show from London’s Wembley Stadium on August 27 has reportedly already sold more than 80,000 tickets. A majority of those seats were bought even before any match was ever announced. The event brings added significance for Saraya, former WWE superstar Paige. In 2018, the popular performer was forced to retire from the ring due to neck injuries.

Fast forward to 2022 where a further evaluation got her cleared by doctors to keep the wrestling dream alive. She signed with AEW and now looks to solidify her comeback story by winning the women’s championship before many of her friends and family. Many of them watched her as a teenager paying dues and traveling the world to represent the famed Knight family’s legacy. The 31-year-old’s road to superstardom was told in the 2019 movie Fighting with My Familly. Playing Saraya was a breakout role for none other than Florence Pugh.

Standing in her way at All Out is the current title holder Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker, and Toni Storm, her fellow member of The Outcasts. Here Saraya sits down with TV Insider ahead of what is sure to be an emotional match.

How do you reflect on your road back in the ring?

Saraya: I was told I wasn’t ever going to wrestle again. Maybe when I’m in my late 40s is what they told me…I accepted the fact I would never be in the ring again. It was a whirlwind with WWE and me parting ways. By the time I got a call back from them [in 2022], I had already been committed to team AEW here. They instantly took my neck seriously. Everything felt very healthy. I have been taking care of myself really for five years. I’m completely sober, vegan eating, and an extreme health nut. On Halloween, I went and checked with a doctor who was not wrestling-related. I wanted someone with an unbiased opinion who would be completely honest with me and someone who doesn’t know about wrestling. He looked at it and said, “Your neck is perfectly fine. A hundred percent is healthy. You can go as fast as you want or as slow as you want.” Just having that approval, I never imagined getting back in the ring again. It just felt absolutely incredible. Tony [Khan] was like, “We can go as fast or as slow as you want. You can do as many matches as you want. You can go at your pace.” It has just been an incredible journey.

AEW

What does it mean to you to be on All In?

When I found out we were going to England, I was like, “Holy sh*t. Where are we going to go?” AEW has this thing of go big or go home. I appreciate that so much. They were like, “Let’s go to Wembley Stadium.” I remember saying on Twitter, “This is going to sell out. I know how British fans are and how wrestling fans can be. People are going to be traveling to Wembley from all over the world.” I said that from day one, and everyone was making fun of my tweet like there is no way. You had reporters from England talking sh*t. Once it sold so many tickets without one match out there, nobody could really say anything. It was just an incredible feeling to be a part of it. From being told I’d never wrestle again to being on the biggest stage in the U.K. and being part of a match there. Not wrestling there for seven or eight years or holding a championship for nine years. It’s such a huge moment… Finally. I feel like I’m home again.

How would you say being a part of The Outcasts has helped with your transition into AEW?

Toni and Ruby [Soho] are both the most amazing human beings in the world. They have zero egos about them. They are selfless people trying to help other people. It’s nice to be in a core group where everyone is happy and wants the best for you. I can say that about the whole locker room. I know there is a lot of narrative getting spun. Truly, that locker room is one of the best locker rooms I’ve ever been in. Every single one of them is extremely supportive. As soon as we get backstage, you’ll find everyone had watched the match and is happy for you. They’ll tell their honest opinion too. We’re a big family.

We are a true team. We’ll come up with ideas for each other, even if we’re not wrestling in the match. Toni has just flourished into this incredible promo. I just remember her getting there and being so nervous. Now she is doing get all these promos and killing it. I couldn’t be more proud of her. I would say a lot of that is due to Ruby because Ruby is such a great promo girl too. She has fantastic ideas. I feel like we have helped each other in so many different ways. We’ll text each other daily, even if it’s not wrestling-related. We’ve made each other feel super comfortable. We’re just having a great time. I think people can tell that.

You’ve been able to work with a lot of new talent too like Skye Blue for example. How has it been being that veteran?

I’m always there to listen. People will usually come to me. It’s really nice. We’re all helping each other. With Skye Blue, I feel like she can be something really special. With her, she never got to go to an NXT or developmental before going on TV. She was thrown into the deep end and learned as she goes. That can be a lot of work. Britt Baker did it too for the most part. They just got thrown in the deep end with this kind of stuff. If I were starting out like that I would be sh*tting bricks. I remember talking to Skye. I think she was having a singles match against Ruby. I said to her focus on selling facials. Rather than focusing on the moves, I told her it’s about the story you’re telling. She is just so sweet. She is an angel backstage. Everyone loves her. She is back there gluing gems on everyone’s wrestling gear. She helps make wrestling gear. She is just helpful to everybody. So it felt nice to give back to her a little bit. She is killing it.

What do you say to critics who may say the women have matches but not much in the way of building a story arc?

Everyone loves a good story. It’s like going to a movie. You don’t want to see an hour-and-a-half constant fight scene. You want that break to tell a story. Men or women, I feel like it’s important to get that storytelling in there. I feel Tony does a good job. With the guys, you have Adam Cole and MJF. Every single week they have something great and entertaining. MJF is great with writing all his stuff out. Britt is the same way. She’ll have pitches upon pitches. Every girl is ready with pitches. There is only a certain amount of time we can do things, but I’m grateful as a female to be the main eventing Dynamite and Rampage and getting this opportunity to be on Wembley. I feel we can get some good storytelling in the next week or so. There is a little story going on where people are trying to read between the lines with Toni and Saraya in the same match and wondering how that is going to pan out. Everyone has their opinion on how the women’s division should be run, but at the end of the day, we’re grateful to get that time on TV.

Someone you got to know over the years is CM Punk. A very polarizing figure. How is it having him back?

I only saw him a couple of times since he has been back because he is on Collision. From what I saw of him, he was very nice. I walked passed his dressing room, and he came out and said hi. We took a picture and we sent it to his missus. His missus., AJ [Mendez] and I are very good friends of mine. He has been really nice to me. I’m sure it’s really great for ratings. They tune in and want to see him. They are probably wondering what he will say or do next. At the end of the day, that’s good business. They also want to see The Elite too, who re-signed. They are a big part of our ratings too. They are the ones that helped start that baby that is AEW. From a business point, everyone is going to wonder what is going to happen. Even I am, which is exciting. I haven’t seen him very much, but when I did, he was very nice to me.

Lee South/AEW

You were on Total Divas. We recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the reality show’s premiere. As someone who was on it, what kind of impact do you think that program had?

I feel like reality TV is a huge part of society and culture. I was thankful to be a part of it. I can’t believe it has been 10 years since it started. I feel so old now. It was so big. At times the number one reality show on E! Network. We beat out the Kardashians one time I think. Most of the time we were at least second. We brought a whole new group of eyes to the wrestling business that would come in to support the females. At the end of the day, it made history for women and had massive talent on there. We even had Ronda Rousey on there. We had a wonderful group of women who wanted the best for women’s wrestling. What better way to bring in fresh eyes than to go into a whole different market of people?l I walk down the street now and people know me because of Total Divas. It’s awesome to have so many groups of fans.

It’s nice to see another former cast member Alicia Fox making her comeback to the ring too.

It’s always good to see people living a sober lifestyle, especially me and her who got into some trouble during the Total Divas days. We would end up on TMZ one day getting into a bar fight. We were little sh*ts together. It’s nice to see her in a good mental space. She is such a wonderful human being. She deserves this comeback. I hope I get to see her in AEW. one day. That would be freakin’ awesome to have my pal beside me. I’m happy she is healthy. That’s my main point. She is the healthiest she has ever been, and she looks great. You can’t deny that.

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As we move forward, what do you want to see from the AEW women’s division?

People have to realize AEW has only been in the business for four years. It’s very much a baby. We have so much time to let things grow and evolve. I’m sure going down the line there will be more situations for the women, more new faces that will come in. I’ll be there with open arms. I personally have never gotten to do stipulated matches in WWE. I want to do cage matches and ladder matches. Personally, I would love to be part of it. I know Tony trusts the girls 100 percent to do things like that. Just more of that kind of stuff. I want us to continue to main event here and there. I’m not saying all the time, but it’s nice to have that spot. New faces coming in, and I welcome everyone. AEW is so wonderful about hiring new people. I feel like in WWE I have to be a certain kind of way where AEW is friendly for everybody. It’s so inclusive. Just awesome. I feel very privileged of being part of such a wonderful company that is such a baby. You never would think at four years a company would be selling out Wembley Stadium. It’s incredible. I’m super thankful.

AEW’s All In, August 27, 1/12c, Pay-Per-View

AEW’s All Out, September 3, 8/7c, Pay-Per-View