Saraya Compares Working In WWE To AEW

Former AEW Women's World Champion Saraya announced her departure from All Elite Wrestling earlier this week. Saraya spent nearly 3.5 years with AEW, resuming her in-ring career with the promotion after a 5-year retirement that began in WWE where she was known as "Paige." While joining Booker T and Brad Gilmore on "Hall of Fame," Saraya compared working in WWE with Vince McMahon to AEW with Tony Khan after Booker brought up her transition from a very busy WWE schedule at the time.

"It is very different, Book, you're right, because I'm used to doing 5 days a week and then only going home for like 1 day, and I love the grind, I love that, I enjoyed my time, it was exhausting of course," Saraya would say. "I had to get used to just being at home a little bit; I mean, I retired for a little bit but I constantly stayed busy but just in the wrestling world. It was weird to not have live events and all that kind of fun stuff."

Saraya acknowledged that the freedom AEW allows of their talent was a big drawing point for her to sign with them in 2022, having been with WWE when the talent needed permission for outside ventures such as acting. Saraya would mention how WWE has since become more accommodating with giving the wrestlers time off, applauding the company for the change and adaptation they made for rest and recovery. Saraya then recalled the difficulty of preparing for her AEW in-ring debut and return to wrestling.

"I had 5 years of not wrestling, and so my body had healed, and then you take 1 bump and you're just like, 'What have I been doing my whole life?'" Saraya joked. "Having too much time off as well as well I feel like- you have to stay busy and you have to stay active because if not, if you're sitting around, if you take your bump, it hurts more."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Hall of Fame" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.