Saraya remains one of the most colorful characters in the history of professional wrestling during her ongoing AEW career. Long ago, many thought that she was done with pro wrestling after getting diagnosed with a career-threatening neck injury. But, she ultimately overcame the odds and made a triumphant comeback to set an example.
Many believed that she would make a grand return as Paige on WWE TV but after the then Vince McMahon-centered regime decided not to renew her contract, she made her way to AEW during the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite back in September 2022 under her real name of Saraya. Being a popular name and an influencer, she immediately made an impact.
Being a natural babyface, she started feuding with Britt Baker who was acting as a heel, back then. The dimension in this feud could be completely opposite. At least, Saraya wanted it to be that way during her debut given that Britt’s logic of being a pillar in the AEW Women’s Division was definitely true.
“I’ve Had My B**bs Done. Twice,” AEW Star Saraya Admits While Firing Back At Fans
Saraya wanted to turn heel on her debut night in AEW
While speaking on The Corner Podcast, Saraya recounted the day when she debuted in AEW. On that day, the anti-diva saw herself as a heel but the creative team led by Tony Khan barred her from being a villain since they knew she was going to get the reactions of a natural babyface figure.
“I Just Flourish Better As A Heel,” Saraya Makes Bold Claim About Her AEW Character
“So, with the being the heel, I wanted to do it straight out of the gate but Tony (Khan) and everyone was saying, ‘You can’t because you’re now coming back. Career-ending injury, you’re finally back in the ring again so people are gonna cheer you.’” Saraya further explained why she’d love to be a villain on AEW TV, straight away.
“AEW fans love their homegrown talents. They do not take too kindly to some people coming in, you know what I mean? And I’m just like, people are harsh. People are really harsh. So I’m just like, well why don’t we just make this a thing? I don’t care. I’d love to be heel, I love being heel. I feel like I thrive when I’m in my heel role. I can be more creative, I love to talk s***.”
Saraya eventually turned heel just a couple of months after her debut match in AEW at Full Gear against Britt Baker. Teaming up with ex-WWE Superstars, Toni Storm and Ruby Soho, she got involved in a stretched feud with AEW’s homegrown talents in Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, and Hikaru Shida to further establish her heel character.
