Former AEW and WWE star Saraya (f.k.a. Paige) recently opened up about her emotional journey through professional wrestling’s most demanding mental battlegrounds — both in and out of the ring.
Appearing on One-on-One with Andro Mammo, Saraya looked back on her AEW run from 2022 to 2025 and the rollercoaster that followed her return to in-ring action.
“I couldn’t believe I was ever gonna wrestle again. So it was a miracle,” Saraya said, reflecting on her comeback. “But this is where it goes to the online fans again… I came out, and I was like, yes! This is amazing. And then the week after, I did a promo, which wasn’t very good, and I know it wasn’t. I just got in my head. I got a lot of nerves and stuff like that, and a lot of anxiety… I didn’t do a good job, and then they completely tore me apart online. It made me think I made a mistake coming back, and I was like, what have I done?”
Saraya admitted that the backlash affected her deeply and sparked a period of self-doubt and anxiety.
Asked how she handled the negativity, she credited time and boundaries with helping her recover.
“Time. Deleting social media, just getting reps in… Again, deleting social media because I did not want to listen to what they were saying, because they can be cruel,” she explained. “The AEW fans, especially anyone that comes over to there, like, holy crap, they’re unforgiving. It’s crazy.”
“It was rough, and so it kind of like dimmed my spark for a lot. And then after a while, I just started having fun and not caring what people think.”
Saraya has been candid about mental health struggles throughout her career. Her recent comments offer insight into the toll of public criticism — and the importance of learning to protect one’s peace.
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