Saraya (Paige) Explains What It Will Take For Her to Wrestle Again Following Her WWE Departure

Former WWE Divas Champion Paige (now going by her real name, Saraya) has been teasing the idea of stepping back inside the ring ever since she confirmed her departure from WWE earlier this year. The British star suffered a career-ending neck injury back in late 2017, announced her retirement in April 2018 and continued to appear on WWE programming in a number of roles through 2020. She was a guest on Renee Paquette's The Sessions this week and discussed that elusive return match, saying it would take something "special" for her to finally lace up her boots again.

"I feel fantastic, I really do feel fantastic. I still have the mental block of, 'Oh my God, if I was to get in the ring, what if?' If I was to have to be in the ring, it would be for a really big moment to wrestle. I'll do promos here and there, for big companies, but to actually wrestle, it would have to be a really big moment. I would love to face Sasha (Banks) again, for real. It ended the way it did."

In mentioning Banks, Saraya was referencing how "The Boss" inadvertently ended her career with a kick to the back of the head during a WWE Live Event. She had already undergone a number of neck surgeries prior to her 2017 in-ring return. She compared her "retirement" to that of Ric Flair, who just had his final match 14 years after initially retiring at WrestleMania XXIV in 2008.

Always. Always (wrestling is in my heart). I'm like Ric Flair, I'm gonna have a ton of retirements. Ric Flair, I'm going to be your age and be like, 'My last one guys, I promise,'" she said with a laugh. 

As for why she left WWE, Saraya previously explained in a Twitch stream that it was purely a business decision on the company's part. She had pitched other ideas to remain on TV, most notably as a manager for Ronda Rousey

"I'm appreciative of WWE," she said earlier this summer. "I really am. They helped me so much they got me a therapist when I had drinking and alcohol issues. They kept me a long time even after my neck surgery, sitting on my ass. I felt like I had so much left to give there as someone who can cut a decent promo and do a managerial role. It is what it is."

"WWE doesn't want to re-sign me. It's not my decision. I don't want anyone to think it was my decision to walk away," she added.

She later added, "They weren't using me to my full potential, that's for sure. It's fair. Why do they [need to] employ me to not do very much for them. There is opportunities I could have done. I think they just want to focus on people who are wrestling."

h/t Fightful

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