When Saraya made her AEW debut on the Dynamite episode of AEW Grand Slam, wrestling fans who had followed her WWE career as Paige were excited but also a little confused.
Was she in the company to be an authority figure of some sort, someone to give on-screen direction to the women’s division? Or had she been cleared from the serious neck injury that ended her in-ring WWE tenure after several years? Seeing as she didn’t get physically involved in any of her first few appearances, it wasn’t clear.
As Saraya revealed on The Sessions with Renee Paquette, there was a good reason for the uncertainty: She hadn’t been cleared when she signed with AEW, and only got the good news that she could resume wrestling — which she shared with the world on this week’s Dynamite — on Oct. 31 (h/t to Wrestling Observer for the transcription).
“Halloween, perfect day, I went to the doctor here in California, one of the best doctors around,” Saraya said. “He did a bunch of NFL, NBA, all these huge action stars, celebrities, actors & actresses, and all that fun stuff.
“Then he sat there and went through them all and he was just like, ‘you’re cleared’ and I just burst into tears.”
The 30-year-old said the advice she was given was to start with just one match a month and build from there, and to take time off if she felt her neck wasn’t feeling right. But the doctor felt confident that Saraya’s surgeries and subsequent healing would give her “some cushion” on bumps to the neck.
Also notable was Saraya discussing putting another well-known wrestler’s mind at ease. As Paige, she was injured during a tag team match in WWE and was working against Sasha Banks at the time it took place.
Saraya has never blamed Banks for the kick that ended her WWE career, exacerbating a previous neck injury, and has been open about the idea that it was her own fault for proceeding with in-ring action like nothing was wrong. Still, she took the time to reach out to Banks immediately after being cleared.
“The first person I texted as well was Mercedes, Sasha,” Saraya said. “She was one of the first people I texted. All that stuff, that can mentally f–k someone up to end someone’s career.
“I just said, ‘Hey sis, I just want to let you know since I know this whole thing was tough on you mentally, but my doctor just cleared me and told me my neck is 100% ready to go. I haven’t told anyone else but I know this will make you feel good. I’m back, haha.’ And she was over the moon and stuff like that.”
Saraya’s first AEW match is set to take place against Britt Baker at Full Gear on Saturday, Nov. 19.
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