Saraya Discusses Process Of Learning And Second-Guessing Upon Her Return To Wrestling In AEW

Upon her return to wrestling last fall, Saraya admits she initially struggled with the adjustment, both on the microphone and in the ring. During one of her earliest AEW appearances, Saraya referenced her transition away from WWE when she cut a promo claiming it was nice to work for a boss — Tony Khan — that actually listens to her. This specific line drew a mixed response from fans, compelling Saraya to address it on Twitter. The former Paige said she felt "rusty" during the onscreen performance, but on a recent "Busted Open Radio," she revealed that the controversial promo affected her much deeper. "I was so mortified by the promo myself that I actually second-guessed coming back altogether," she said. "'Did I just make a mistake? Did I make myself look so awful?'"

Despite the rough start, Saraya gradually regained her footing on the mic. Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley later advised her to "speak from the heart," and eventually, her confidence grew back. As she got more comfortable speaking again, Saraya had to tackle another obstacle — her in-ring return. On the November 9 "AEW Dynamite," Saraya dropped the exciting news that she'd been cleared to resume in-ring competition after almost five years away from the squared circle. As her redemption arc began though, it took time for Saraya to reacquaint herself with the routine.

"I didn't have my confidence at all. I was coming back in and I'm like, 'Man, I need to learn how to wrestle again. I need to learn all these new things because there's so many new moves and stuff like that,'" she recalled. After her triple-threat match at AEW Revolution, Saraya felt she had finally mastered the learning curve.