Despite being one of the most popular female superstars of the WWE locker room, Saraya FKA Paige was released from her contract during the Vince McMahon-regime in 2022. Years later, the former employee isn’t holding back on her feelings about the strict protocol that the company once maintained under that previous regime. She also touted this to be the reason why some talents decided to jump ships to All Elite Wrestling.
Speaking on her recently-launched Rulebreakers podcast, the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion in WWE’s history revealed how WWE wanted to manage a talent under their banner, impacting their personal lives. Saraya went on to reveal that the bounds even had to do something with her body and appearance,
“If I wanted to get a tattoo, my bo*bs done, or even cut my hair, I had to ask permission from WWE.”
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Saraya switched to AEW from WWE to enjoy freedom
However, with the arrival of All Elite Wrestling, the entire pro-wrestling industry had undergone some significant changes in recent years, as it offered some serious competition to WWE, which used to dominate the market for decades. Working in both WWE and AEW, Saraya knows all about the inner happenings, and she believes that the freedom factor is a standout upon being an “All Elite,”
“A lot of people go to AEW because there’s more freedom compared to WWE. It’s one of the reasons I made the switch.” (quotes courtesy Ringside News)
Moving in the conversation, Saraya also made it clear that the strict level of surveillance was mainly enforced during the Vince McMahon-era in the WWE while “Things are different now under Triple H’s regime.” The McMahon Sr. stepped away from the WWE in January 2024 following a lawsuit filed by Janel Grant, and some of the previous WWE officials within the company.
With All Elite Wrestling in the rear-view, Saraya admittedly would love to come back to the WWE at some point with Triple H being in charge of the company’s creative aspects. During an interview with SI, the former-Paige also mentioned that WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans in 2026 would be a perfect place for her comeback as this city delivered various special moments in her career.
