AEW wants Saraya to stick around for a while.
The artist formerly known as Paige during her time in WWE made a dramatic (but non-contact) debut at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam, helping to run off Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter and company. AEW later sent out a “Saraya is #AllElite” tweet, which it generally only does when it has signed a performer to a contract.
Fightful Select reported today on some of the details of that deal, stating that “Saraya has agreed to a three-year contract with AEW” while adding that there could be option years as well. No money figures are disclosed, which isn’t unusual with news on wrestler contracts, but the outlet does add that “the amount of money it was signed for ‘largely implies that she’ll be wrestling in some capacity.'”
That’s a significant angle to the story because of the uncertainty around Saraya’s ability to return to the ring. As Paige, she suffered a serious neck injury in 2016 that required surgery, then was injured again shortly after she was cleared to compete in late 2017. The second neck injury was one that WWE was never willing to clear her from, leading to her eventual departure from the company this summer.
Other high profile wrestlers, including Bryan Danielson and Edge, have come back from injuries thought to be career-ending in recent years, and the assumption is that Saraya and AEW expect that she’ll be able to do the same. The contract news certainly points in that direction, so it could be more of a matter of “if” and not “when” she returns to the ring.
More hints to that end could come as soon as tonight. Saraya is being promoted as part of the AEW Dynamite broadcast from Philadelphia, and plenty of eyes will be on her to see if she’s still hands off or talks more about her plans in the company.
[vertical-gallery id=13170]