Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, opened up to Chris Van Vliet about the emotional and deeply personal reason she chose to sign with AEW in 2022 after her WWE departure. For her, it wasnt just about returning to the ringit was about giving her brother the opportunity he never had.
Saraya explained that after leaving WWE, she didnt see a path back into wrestling and had no plans to step into the ring again.
But things changed quickly when both WWE and AEW reached out almost simultaneously. WWE offered her a potential GM role, with the possibility of getting her neck checked down the line. AEW, on the other hand, made an offer that immediately pulled at her heartstringsthey were willing to sign her brother, Zak Knight.
For Saraya, that was the deciding factor. She said the opportunity to share the spotlight with her brother, who never got his shot despite dreaming of wrestling his whole life, meant more than anything.
She described their bond growing up like twins, only 14 months apart, and how hard it was for her to succeed while her brother remained in the shadows.
Once the decision was made, Tony Khan arranged for Saraya to get her neck evaluatedbut under one condition: she wanted a doctor who didnt have ties to wrestling.
She ended up seeing a top-tier neck specialist in California who works with major celebrities. That doctor ultimately cleared her for a return to in-ring action, making her full comeback possible.
Sarayas AEW chapter began with both a personal and professional rebirthone that brought her family back together and gave her brother a long-overdue chance in the spotlight.
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