WWE medical team allegedly refused to check 30-year-old star and permanently barred the former champion from returning
Former WWE star Saraya (fka Paige), who had retired due to a career-threatening neck injury before joining AEW last year, revealed that the doctors could have cleared her to wrestle.
On September 21 last year, Saraya came out of retirement and made her debut for AEW. She was forced to retire from in-ring competition in 2017 after sustaining a neck injury and was later released from the Stamford-based promotion.
Although she was in a non-wrestling role for quite some time, Saraya was kept out of action due to injury concerns on the advice of doctors. However, the former Divas Champion recently disclosed a different story regarding her not getting cleared by the medical staff.
In a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Saraya opened up on how the medical staff refused to check on her injury and constantly kept her on the sidelines, but it had nothing to do with Triple H or upper management.
"At WWE, I asked to see my neck a few times, and the medical said that the book was closed on that, and they weren't gonna keep checking on it, which was really disappointing, So if I wanted to check on my neck, it would have to come out of my own pocket. Her name was Stacy — that was her who said that, by the way. So it wasn't anything to do with like Hunter or anything, it was just that medical department, which I thought was a little unfair, but it's okay." [H/T WrestlingINC]
How Saraya ended up in AEW after WWE departure and how she is treading lightly this time
After being out of action for years and not getting cleared to compete by the WWE's medical team, Saraya eventually left the company after her contract ran out.
Later, she got a call from the AEW owner and CEO, Tony Khan, offering her an in-ring comeback, and she was finally cleared to compete.
Although she is back to being an in-ring performer after years, the former WWE Divas Champ admitted how she is carefully dealing with her body this time as she has to keep herself away from another injury.
"I was like 'I'm smarter this time. I have to be smarter. I'm starting my thirties here and I just want to work smarter, not harder, you know what I mean?" Saraya admitted. [H/T WrestlingINC]
Meanwhile, Saraya continues to climb to the top of the AEW women's division along with her Outcasts' partners, Toni Storm and Ruby Soho.
It would be interesting to see what the promotion has in store for her in the forthcoming future.
What are your thoughts on Saraya's run in AEW so far? Sound off in the comments below.