“My Neck Just Friggin Snapped Back,” Saraya Fka Paige Remembers Neck Injury In WWE

A tragic incident took place for the WWE Universe on December 27, 2017, where Saraya, then known as Paige suffered a neck concussion. Competing at a house show in New York on WWE’s Live Holiday Tour, Sasha Banks hit her with a stiff kick to the back. The same move was performed on her by Bayley, the night before and hence it turned out to be a fatal one.

After Sasha’s kick, Paige was laid down in the ring and felt “something was just a little bit [off].” Speaking on Talk is Jericho hosted by Chris Jericho, the now Saraya remembered that terrifying incident that took place at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. Per her below comments, it seemed like she had bumped into a car.

Saraya Fka Paige In WWE Recreates 2007 Movie Character For Halloween

“My neck just friggin snapped back like I was in a car crash,” Saraya said. “And then I was like paralyzed for like a couple of minutes, which is the most terrifying thing … I just remember laying there, and then I didn’t cry, but I knew instantly I was just like, ‘This is it like I’m done? Like, I’m toast, right?”‘

The former WWE Divas Champion successfully underwent neck surgery just a few months earlier to return to the WWE with Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville to form Absolution. When the injury happened, the heel team led by Saraya was feuding with Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Mickie James that set up the six-woman tag involving the two teams in the aforementioned live event.

AEW Dynamite: Saraya To Make Major Announcement On In-Ring Career

WWE Superstars were concerned about the health of Saraya after the neck injury

Saraya stated that she looked over to her Absolution buddies while lying on the mat after the injury and saw concerned faces of opponents and tag partners about her well-being,

“I look over and I see Sasha [Banks], Bayley and there’s Mickie James and everyone. They were just crying. I look at Mandy and Sonya, and they were crying.”

The youngest Women’s Champion refused to be stretchered out of the arena and waited to have her “feeling to come back up, and then went backstage” on her own where former WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt consoled her, “The first thing he did, just gave me a big hug, [and asked] ‘You okay?'”

Saraya was later taken to the doctor’s office, and then to the medical facility in Pittsburgh for evaluation of her neck. A couple of months later, she received news that she would have to effectively retire from in-ring competition, and formally announced her retirement the night after WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, the same venue she made her main roster debut, four years ago.

Following her retirement, Saraya was utilized in the WWE in some non-wrestling roles, notably as general manager of Smackdown. After being released from the company in July 2022, the anti-Diva made her debut in All Elite Wrestling during the AEW Grand Slam episode. She was also cleared to return to in-ring competition before the return.