Former WWE star Saraya’s AEW debut was initially met with enthusiasm, as fans were excited to see her back in action after what seemed like a career-ending injury. However, some fans later criticized her promo skills and in-ring performances. Reflecting on this, Saraya admitted in an interview on the Daria & Toni Unwrapped podcast that she didn’t give her best effort and acknowledged feeling scared of re-injury, which led her to be lazy in her work—something she now regrets. Despite a less-than-stellar showing in AEW, Saraya revealed she still has a strong desire to wrestle, describing the passion for wrestling as an obsession that’s hard to shake, citing Ric Flair as an example of someone who keeps returning to the ring. Looking ahead, she plans to learn a new wrestling style but expressed a dislike for traveling, which she considers the hardest part of the profession.
Saraya also confessed that her first AEW promo was terrible, admitting she was very nervous and unsure of what to say since she wasn’t allowed to create her own material at that time. She described her role as unclear, stating AEW wanted to work with her regardless of the situation, which contributed to her confusion. During her initial promo, she even stopped mid-sentence to apologize for her nerves and repeatedly stumbled over words, like saying “revolution” several times awkwardly. Saraya has avoided watching that promo since it damaged her confidence with fans. The negative reaction led her to remove social media from her phone and consider quitting AEW, but her manager encouraged her to continue. She credits a successful second promo with Britt Baker and Jon Moxley’s support for helping her regain footing in AEW.
Fan Take: Saraya’s honesty about her struggles and growth highlights the challenges wrestlers face transitioning to new promotions and bouncing back from setbacks. For AEW fans, her journey underscores the importance of perseverance and could signal exciting improvements in her future performances, which adds depth and authenticity to the wrestling world.
