Saraya Addresses Royal Rumble Absence, Says She Wasn’t Too Happy in AEW – Saraya has commented on the speculation surrounding her possible involvement in the 2026 Royal Rumble, making it clear that any decision about her return rests with WWE rather than herself. The former AEW Women’s World Champion and WWE Divas Champion generated buzz after sharing videos of herself training in a ring, which led many fans to expect a surprise appearance in the match.
Speaking on Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Wrestling with Freddie podcast, Saraya reacted to the strong fan response following her absence. She admitted she was taken aback by how much support she received online, especially considering past controversies.
“A lot of people were mad that I wasn’t in the (Royal) Rumble, and a lot of people thought I was gonna be number 30 too… I’ve had that much support before but I thought I had lost all that support, because of all my controversy. But it was just absolutely bonkers. There was thousands of videos across all platforms on just a couple of training videos. It was at 13 million a couple of days ago and now it’s like 18 million. It is just absolutely insane. I cried one day because of it, because I’m just like, ‘I can’t believe people still love me. This is crazy.’”
Saraya also spoke about the emotional connection she has to the Royal Rumble, referencing a moment from the first women’s match in 2018, which came during the same period she was forced to retire due to a neck injury.
“I wish I could be in the Rumble and there was a viral video circulating of the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble, and it was the same year I got told I couldn’t wrestle again and no one knew it at the time… They have images of me backstage just crying, just being like, ‘This is what I’ve always dreamed of. This is what I wanna be a part of. I hope one day I can be a part of it again…’”
While there was significant fan demand, Saraya confirmed she cannot simply return on her own terms and emphasized that WWE ultimately determines whether she appears.
“It was viral as well, and everyone’s just like hoping that I was gonna be in this Rumble, that I finally get to be a part of that, that I’ve always dreamed of being a part of. So yeah, it was incredible. I wish I was part of it, but it’s more to it. WWE has to make that decision. Not me… Everyone obviously wants me to go back.”
She also discussed her recent mindset toward wrestling, revealing she briefly lost her passion for the business during her AEW run due in part to dissatisfaction with her character.
“I’m taking wrestling so seriously. I lost my passion for it for a second. I kind of fell out of love with it, and it was kind of making me miserable at one point. I feel like the company I was in — I loved being in AEW. I had so much fun. But, the character I was doing, I wasn’t too happy with, and I wish I could have done certain matches and certain things, and it didn’t come to be, and it’s fine.”
Despite that period, Saraya said she is now focused on getting back into peak condition and hopes to return stronger than before, drawing inspiration from her NXT-era persona.
“But, yeah, I just kind of fell out of love with it and so now, I’m just like, ‘I need to start training again. I need to get my ass back into shape. I need to be the Paige that I was in NXT but better. I can do it at 33 still. I still got it.’”
She added that her current training is part of a long-term goal rather than preparation for a specific appearance, but she remains determined to make a comeback.
“I do wanna come back to wrestling, I do wanna start getting in the swing of things again and if I was to come back, I’ll be better than you’ve ever seen me. I can promise you that.”
Saraya Addresses Royal Rumble Absence, Says She Wasn’t Too Happy in AEW