Pro wrestling veteran Saraya discussed various topics with Poker Scout, including her Mount Rushmore of women’s wrestlers.
Saraya said, “Bull Nakano, Lita, just because I was so obsessed with her when I was younger and she was just so edgy and so cool, Nattie Neidhart 100% would be on my Mount Rushmore, she is one of the best wrestlers you’ll ever come across, I love her. It’s hard to only pick four, it’s really hard because I love Toni Storm so much and I think what she’s doing is so incredible, it’s really hard because I love Rhea Ripley too. I feel like what she’s doing is incredible for the world of wrestling. So there’s a lot of women, I can’t pick just four, but at least three because I don’t know who to put in that last spot, Nattie, Bull Nakano and Lita.”
On AJ Lee as a possible choice for the last spot:
“It’s such a hard question, I get asked that numerous times, a lot of the women are just fantastic and just doing such wonderful things for the business. I don’t know, because I could even put AJ in there and I could put anybody in that spot and it would be accurate.”
On the pressure of being the youngest female champion in WWE history:
“I was so honoured and stressed out that I was getting that opportunity straight out the gate. Obviously they trusted me with it, but at the same time I am really young. With the championship comes a lot of pressure and a lot of things that you have to get done. As soon as I was out of the ring, they’re like, go take pictures, go talk to the media, go do this, go do that. And I’m like, this is my first day on the job, you know? So it was very intense. But I loved it and I’m so proud that I made history that day. One of the first double champs, may I say, NXT and Diva’s Champion. Never lost it. But I loved it. I don’t think it hindered me in any way. The only thing that hindered me was myself, with the drinking and stuff like that. I wish I was a lot smarter when it comes to things like that. I’m seven years sober now. I would never be drinking and be in a mess ever again in that way. I’m sure I’ll be a mess in other ways though. We were just so busy. It was a lot of fun. I was enjoying my life for sure. I just made some silly decisions.
On her greatest fear in the early stages of her career:
“There was no holding back. I was still very insecure because again, back then I did look very different to everybody else. The only one that was kind of similar to me was AJ. I was definitely insecure, I was young. I wanted to make everyone proud; I felt the pressure. It was an intense time of my life, but there wasn’t anything that I was severely worried about. I had to grow up very quickly, that’s for sure. I got signed at 18, came over here at 19, I was in a very big country with a very different culture and different food and different ways of living and stuff like that. So it was very intense to adapt. But I did myself proud.”
On which of her Divas Title reigns was more significant personally:
“I think the first one because it made such an impact. I loved the second one; I won it on my birthday at Summer Slam and it was incredible. But I think the first one was my favorite because it was just such a big moment for me. And obviously it didn’t hold it for too long. Because it was a couple months before AJ came back and won it the way I won it, which I thought was cool. But I think that one. It was just such a memorable time.”
On her current dream opponent:
“It has to be Rhea Ripley. When I was in WWE, we had just started getting the ball rolling with the Divas Revolution. So the matches like the Elimination Chamber and the Royal Rumble and stuff like that was only just starting to happen. So I didn’t get the opportunity to do those, at least in WWE anyway. So I feel like it would be fitting for me and Rhea to do an Extreme Rules match or something like that. Something edgy for us.”
