Saraya wants to have stipulation matches and do more character work in AEW.
The former Paige was forced to retire in 2018 due to a neck injury, and she stayed with WWE until her contract expired in July 2022. She moved to AEW in September, as she made her debut on AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam. Since then, Saraya has been feuding with Britt Baker. On the November 9 episode of AEW Dynamite, she announced that she's medically cleared, and she challenged Baker to a match at AEW Full Gear.
Speaking on The Sessions with Renee Paquette, Saraya discussed her looming return to the ring. Looking to the future, she made it clear that she wants to compete in stipulation matches, as she didn't get the opportunity to do that during her WWE run. She also stated that she's excited about doing more character work with an elevated version of who she was as Paige.
"At first it’s more of a comeback story, an official comeback and being in a different mindset of what I felt like I should have done the first time I came back. There are plenty of women that I want to have matches with eventually. I do want to do the stipulation matches that I didn’t get to do in WWE that the girls get to do now. Also, working more character work, try and build...I’m not going to completely let go of Paige, but a more elevated version of her. There are so many things we can do now. We have such creative freedom," Saraya said.
Saraya went on to describe how she has to rebuild her character in AEW, and she's not quite sure who that is yet. She noted that she was comfortable as Paige because she was doing that character for years, but now she has to start over.
"I have to rebuild a character and I’m not 100% sure what she’s going to do and where she’s going to go. I know the idea she wants, but in WWE, I knew my character, I knew Paige, I had been doing her for years. Getting people writing scripts, you can switch and change whatever. Now, who is Saraya? I have to start from the beginning again, at 30! It’s fucking wild," Saraya said.
In the same interview, Saraya stated that she got medically cleared on Halloween. More information is available here.
Saraya previously named some of the wrestlers she's looking forward to working with. Check out her comments here.
Check out the updated card for AEW Full Gear here.
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