Saraya Chose AEW Over WWE Because They Offered to Sign Her Brother

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 wasn’t just about returning to the ring—it was about giving her brother the opportunity he never had.

Saraya explained that after leaving WWE, she didn’t see a path back into wrestling and had no plans to step into the ring again.

“I was never open to the idea of wrestling again, because I just assumed I wasn’t going to do it. So when me and WWE parted ways, I was like, What the fck am I going to do with my life now? I can’t wrestle, what the hell am I going to do?”*

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 heartstrings—they were willing to sign her brother, Zak Knight.

“Then AEW called me, and they were just like, we’ll sign your brother. And I was like, ok.”

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.

“The one thing for me is that I’ve had an incredible career, but my brother’s never had the opportunity to do it… So I just knew at that point, I was like if I take this opportunity, I don’t know if WWE will ever sign my brother, but I know AEW has given me the opportunity to bring my brother in, and he can finally get his moment.”

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.

“I was out here by myself for 13 and a half years without my brother… I felt so bad for him that he never got the opportunity. So having this, I was like, Okay, I’m going to AEW, that’s it.”

Once the decision was made, Tony Khan arranged for Saraya to get her neck evaluated—but under one condition: she wanted a doctor who didn’t have ties to wrestling.

“I said, I don’t want a wrestling doctor. Not saying wrestling doctors are biased, but you want someone that is a little bit more timid when it comes to physical activity.”

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.

“If he says, Yes, I can go back, that means I can go back, because he’s not going to put his career on the line here for me.”

Saraya’s AEW chapter began with both a personal and professional rebirth—one that brought her family back together and gave her brother a long-overdue chance in the spotlight.

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