Saraya Announces Exit from AEW Following Comments About Being Open to WWE Return
Saraya announced on her new podcast that she has departed AEW after roughly two-and-a-half years with the company.
Speaking on the first episode of her Rulebreakers With Saraya podcast (h/t Wesley Stenzel of Entertainment Weekly), which drops in full on Thursday, Saraya broke the news.
"I'm here to tell you that me and AEW's relationship has come to an end," Saraya said. "I had an amazing time there. There's no bad blood between us. I had such a magical time."
Prior to joining AEW in September 2022, Saraya was under contract with WWE from 2011 to 2022 under the name Paige.
During an appearance on Booker T's Hall of Fame podcast (h/t Fightful's Skylar Russell) on Tuesday, Saraya said she would "definitely" go back to WWE in the future "if there's an opportunity to do something fun."
The 32-year-old veteran from Norwich, England, famously began wrestling at the age of 13 after being born into a family of wrestlers and wrestling promoters.
In 2019, a movie entitled Fighting With My Family was released, and it was a biographical look at Saraya's life and career in pro wrestling from its early stages to her time in WWE.
In WWE, Saraya became the inaugural NXT women's champion in 2013, and in her first match on the main roster the following year, she beat AJ Lee for the Divas Championship.
Saraya went on to become a two-time Divas champion, but she was forced to step away from in-ring competition in 2018 due to a neck injury.
She remained with WWE for the next few years, serving in various roles, including SmackDown general manager and manager of the Kabuki Warriors.
Saraya left WWE when her contract expired in 2022 and signed with AEW shortly thereafter. She was cleared to wrestle in AEW and had her first match since December 2017 when she beat Britt Baker at AEW Full Gear in November 2022.
The peak of Saraya's time in AEW came at All In 2023 in London when she won the AEW Women's World Championship in a four-way match in her home country of England.
Saraya held the title for less than two months, and she dropped down the card for most of the remainder of her time with AEW.
In a post Wednesday on X, Saraya said it was a "mutual" decision to leave AEW, adding that she "had such a blast" during her time there.
Saraya left the door open for a return to AEW down the line on her podcast, but noted that she is taking time for herself right now and focusing on other ventures, including the podcast.
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WWE and AEW Are Giving Fans What They Want—For Better and Worse
Professional wrestling thrives on crowd participation and a passionate fanbase unmatched by any other form of entertainment, but that doesn't mean the customer is always right.
The industry is in an interesting place right now because its audience is more outspoken than ever, and the top companies have immediate access to a sample serving of our feedback through social media. However, it's often hard to tell what's merely a vocal minority until it translates into live show reactions.
Still, it's difficult to distinguish how much the fans' response should dictate the direction of major storylines or encourage a company to invest in or repackage a popular wrestler.
Sure, there are countless examples of a well-timed course correction paid dividends or unforgettable instances where someone ignored the evident outcry, which led to a regrettable outcome.
Regardless, there are many examples where a company stayed the course, and we were pleasantly surprised, too. Of course, there are more moments like the "Yes Movement," The Rock's heel turn, or #WeWantCody than exceptions such as Walter's name change to Gunther.
So, WWE or All Elite Wrestling should listen to the overwhelming response from their viewers more often than not, but it's a tough balancing act. The creative team and ownership must decide when it is better to trust the plan they have mapped out and motivate the fans to be patient or heed their reception as proof it's not working.
The following are two current situations where the audience may be right now, but each company must determine the best option in the long run.
What is Jey Uso's Ceiling?
On February 1, Jey Uso shocked the wrestling world when he eliminated John Cena to become the 2025 men's Royal Rumble winner.
The result garnered a largely positive response from avid WWE fans because the 39-year-old enjoyed such a successful jump to Raw. His catchphrase and infectious energy during his entrance instantly caught on, and his short stint as intercontinental champion and merchandise sales ultimately proved his worth as a singles competitor.
More to the point, this was a rewarding moment for viewers who have followed his journey since he took on Roman Reigns in 2020. It's almost poetic that Uso earned the opportunity of a lifetime while The Tribal Chief attempts to regain everything he lost last year.
Nevertheless, some online fans weren't happy with his Rumble win because he had just lost to Gunther one week prior at Saturday Night's Main Event. Some of his most high-profile matches were also a bit underwhelming.
His showdown with his twin brother, Jimmy, at WrestleMania 40 was almost universally panned, and he didn't really flourish in any of his world title matches in 2024.
Still, it's hard to argue Main Event Jey doesn't deserve the chance to win the big one on The Grandest Stage of Them All, because he's so incredibly popular.
It’s a little troubling that the excitement for his rematch against The Ring General has seemingly plateaued, though. That's not necessarily his fault because the fans still cheer for him, but the segments are growing repetitive.
Cena's heel turn and the build for Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk have quickly overshadowed their storyline. Even more, Cody Rhodes' recent appearances on Raw and SmackDown to promote his match with The Rock's new ally have also undercut Uso's momentum following the Rumble.
One could even argue that his win feels like a means to ensure Cena would be in the men's Elimination Chamber match for a bigger moment in retrospect. After all, this wouldn't be the first time WWE rewarded a fan favorite but immediately made it clear they're not the company's top priority.
It still feels like now or never for Jey, so he has to win at The Showcase of the Immortals. This isn't a great sign for his chances of headlining the event or his potential world title reign, though, because it already feels like he's lower in the pecking order than more recognizable superstars.
Should Swerve Strickland Dethrone Jon Moxley?
Meanwhile, AEW must address the growing criticism of The Death Riders and its world championship.
Revolution was an excellent show, but the main event was still the low point on a night packed with incredible in-ring action. Jon Moxley vs. Cope was widely considered the worst match on the card, and Christian Cage's Casino Gauntlet Cash-In was anticlimactic, to say the least.
At least, Swerve Strickland's re-emergence as the new No. 1 contender salvaged the ending and sent the Crypto.com Arena crowd home happy. The Most Dangerous Man in AEW also secured the win over Ricochet and capped off a great story with Prince Nana earlier.
Strickland was undeniably the most popular wrestler on Dynamite last week, and the reaction to him at the pay-per-view was just as loud. So, it's the perfect time to challenge Mox, and he should win for the second consecutive year at Dynasty on April 6.
The Death Riders angle has produced some of the most cumbersome and uninspiring title matches in the history of AEW. Even worse, it has completely lost the plot after a compelling start at WrestleDream last October.
We've assumed this will lead to Darby Allin's return to defeat Moxley after his struggle in 2024, but he won't be back anytime soon, and AEW can’t afford to wait. Mox has been calling for someone on the roster to step up, and Strickland fits the bill as someone who could match his intensity.
Moreover, many fans weren't ready to see him drop the AEW World Championship at All In London last August, and he has continued to be one of the company's most valuable assets since his loss to Bryan Danielson.
There's unfinished business between Strickland and "Hangman" Adam Page, and their rivalry should culminate in a title match later this year.
The prevailing takeaway from Revolution was that it's time to move on from Moxley's run as The King of These Lands because at least five men have proved they're ready to dethrone him. And Strickland leads the pack as the No. 1 contender.
Swerve Strickland Says He Suffered Ruptured Eardrum Injury at AEW Revolution 2025
Swerve Strickland revealed at the AEW Revolution post-show media scrum on Sunday evening that he suffered a ruptured left eardrum during his match with Ricochet (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News).
"Pardon me everybody, I have a ruptured eardrum right now (gesturing to his left ear), so I can only hear out of this ear (motioning to his right)," Strickland said (52:29 in the video). "So...definitely be loud with your questions, thank you!"
It's unclear how the injury occurred during the 18-minute match, which ended with Strickland defeating Ricochet in Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena to become the No. 1 contender to the AEW World Championship.
Later in the evening, Jon Moxley defended the AEW World Championship belt by defeating Cope and Christian Cage in a three-way title match.
Strickland is now next on the title defense list. He's looking for his second AEW World Championship reign after previously holding the belt for 126 days, from April 21 to August 25, 2024. Strickland defeated Samoa Joe for the title at Dynasty before losing it to Bryan Danielson at All In in a Title vs. Career match.
Toni Storm Beats Mariah May to Retain AEW Women's Title at 2025 Revolution
Toni Storm defeated Mariah May in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Revolution on Sunday to retain the AEW Women's World Championship.
It was a bloody affair with both women getting busted open after using all kinds of weaponry, but Storm took down her rival with a piledriver through a table on the entrance stage.
Storm and May have been at odds ever since July when May won the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament to become No. 1 contender for the AEW women's world title.
While May had been Storm's understudy for months before that, she used her victory as an opportunity to turn on her friend, as she attacked Storm and left her a bloody mess.
Going by the name "The Glamour" Mariah May, she challenged Storm for the AEW women's title at All In, which was held in her hometown of London, England. May was victorious in front of the home crowd, becoming AEW women's world champion for the first time in the process.
After the loss to May, Storm took a four-month hiatus. She resurfaced in December, but she had ditched her "Timeless" gimmick and instead went back to the look and character she portrayed when she first signed with AEW.
For quite some time, Storm acted as though she was an inexperienced wrestler who was in AEW for the first time, leading to speculation that the trauma her character had experienced at the hands of May had given her amnesia or something similar.
Storm went on to win a Casino Gauntlet match on the Maximum Carnage edition of Dynamite in January, making her the No. 1 contender for the AEW Women's World Championship.
It was at that point that Storm revealed she had been acting all along, as she returned to her "Timeless" persona, much to the shock and chagrin of May.
Storm would challenge and beat May for the AEW women's world title at Grand Slam Australia last month, making her the first four-time women's champ in AEW history.
May refused to go quietly, as she attacked Storm days after her loss, setting the stage for a rematch at Revolution.
Despite May's motivation to recapture the title, Storm prevailed and perhaps ended her rivalry with May in the process.
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