Daria Rae Explains Why She Didn’t Join TNA Immediately After WWE Exit

Daria Rae’s TNA debut may have felt sudden—but it was actually the result of a conversation that started long before the AMC deal was ever announced.

The former Sonya Deville recently spoke with Metro about her transition to TNA Wrestling, where she now serves as an on-screen authority figure alongside Director of Authority Santino Marella. Rae revealed that she initially spoke with TNA President Carlos Silva shortly after her WWE contract expired in 2025—but at the time, it didn’t feel like the right move.

“I had had conversations with Carlos (Silva) from TNA as soon as I left WWE, and that wasn’t the time for me, and I didn’t know if it would ever be to be honest,” Rae admitted.

The timing finally clicked later that year—completely by chance. Rae said she reached out just before a major TNA announcement.

“It just felt right. So I shot him a text, and it happened to be the day before they announced the AMC TV deal. So he’s like, ‘Did you know?’ And I was like, ‘No, I had no idea, but that’s great news,’ and so we went back and forth and made it happen, and it ended up being, I think, perfect timing.”

Now firmly in her new role, Rae is embracing the dynamic she shares with Santino Marella. While Santino brings comedic charm and fan-favorite energy, Rae is leaning into the contrast.

“He understands what people want, but also he just genuinely has that likeable factor. I think I genuinely have the unlikable factor. So it worked perfectly, like a match made in heaven.”

And yes—she’s well aware of the tension that brings to the screen:

“I was like, ‘Oh, I would love to kind of come in there and dim his light,’ just because he’s so funny. His comedic timing is impeccable. He’s so beloved by the fans, as he should be.”

Rae officially debuted on the January 15 episode of TNA iMPACT on AMC, stepping into a leadership role during a major new era for the company.