Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Saraya On Getting Medically Cleared To Wrestle, Signing With AEW After Leaving WWE

Episode Date: November 15, 2022

Saraya (@saraya) is a professional wrestler signed to AEW and is known for her time in WWE as Paige. She joins Chris Van Vliet from her home in Los Angeles to talk about getting medically cleared to wrestle again after a neck injury in 2017, what it was like being forced to retire from WWE, who she would like to wrestle in All Elite Wrestling, getting sober from drugs and alcohol, clears up rumors about the plastic surgery she’s done, what her future goals are and much more! For more information about Chris Van Vliet and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are good. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Bleet. Greetings and salutation. So good to see you here. Welcome back to another audio adventure on Insight with Chris Van Fleet. Yeah, the full title there. Insight with Chris Van Fleet. I am Chris Van Fleet and so good to welcome Soraya to the show.

Perhaps you know her as Paige in WW. She just made her debut in AEW. Man, what a month it's been for her. The AEW debut, then a few weeks later, she gets cleared to wrestle for the first time in five years. She's pumped about it. I think I speak for all wrestling fans when I say that we're so excited to see what she can do in there. Oh, man, I can't wait. We talk about how all of that came together.

We also get into the highs and the lows that she's experienced over the last decade or so, both as Saraya and as Page. Her story is amazing. I mean, you have seen her story if you've seen the movie Fighting with My Family, you know, the one with The Rock. So you know her story's amazing. And she's done so much. She's only 30 years old. So there is so much more for her to do.

So I can't wait to see what's next for her. It would mean a ton to me if you click to subscribe wherever you're listening to this right now. And also, if you took a screenshot and you shared this episode with a friend, If you happen to post that screenshot on social media, just make sure to tag us so that we can share it out as well. She is at Soraya. I'm at Chris Van Fleet. Let's do this thing.

Please welcome the one, the only. Surrea. There she is. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Yeah, yeah. Of course. Thank you so much for having me. An apologies for everyone watching.

I promise you, I'm not looking at myself the whole time. I have multiple screens in here. I like to stream. So, you know, one computer for gaming and the other phone. But long story short, I'm going to be looking off to the side because I need to focus on Chris. I like how your lighting goes in and out depending on how much you move your hands around. Okay. So right now, it's dark when you do that.

Okay. So, sorry, I am a hand mover. But right now, it's good. Really gloomy outside because it's raining. So I have like the ring light. I really need to step up my lightning game in here, if I'm being honest. I am a streamer and I don't know how light and it. works. So here we go. I'm trying my best.

The one day in L.A. that it rains all year. I know. I love it when it rains, though. I love it. It's so, like, it's like a comfort thing. I'm from England. It already rains over there. Yeah, so it feels like home for you. Yeah, exactly. It's funny, though, because nobody can drive here when it rains. Oh, no. Everyone just falls apart. I will not get in a car and go out there because no one knows how to drive. It's like snow in other parts of the world, which is understandable, you know? You're sliding around and driving in snow here. It's just people are freaking out.

It's always just really hot all the time. I know. So you said you're gaming and you're streaming. What games are you on right now? So right now I'm playing Fortnite. I love that. I only just start getting into the swing of things with that. I've been playing that for about a month right now with my online buddies.

So I'm having a while time with that, though. I did want to try to call it Dewey, but I'm just not very good at it. That's my boyfriend's thing. He'll play that. Do you play? I don't really game that much. I really don't. Oh, really?

It's been a long, so I was very big on, you know, the game. I grew up in the 90s, so like it was Mario 3 and NHL and Blades of Steel and NBA Jam, but yeah, it's been so long now. So good to see you back in a wrestling ring. Thank you. Yeah. So I never thought I'd see the day where I'd be back in a wrestling ring, especially in a physical capacity. That day was never going to come from me.

By the way, apologies for the viewers, but you can't be that mad at me. I have two dogs. People love dogs. But he's a puppy, so he's going to be a little. Oh, it's so dark we can barely see. He's all black too. So it's like black carpet, black dog. He's chewing up one of my slippers actually.

He's being very sweet and chewing up my step for me before I could. Oh, how nice. Thank you. But yeah, it feels really good to be back in the wrestling well in general. Like before I even knew that I was going to be completely clear to wrestle. It was just really nice to be in a new world, too, of AEW. Everyone is so sweet and so fantastic. And I kind of holding my hand throughout the whole thing. They welcomed me with open arms. Like, I'm having a fantastic time. And now I get to wrestle too. Miracle's going to happen.

So the last time that I interviewed you, I was like, you know, Daniel Bryan, he came back. Maybe there's hope for you to come back. And in that time, then Edge came back. And I know different injuries, but was there ever a point where you did lose hope and you're like, man, it's not going to happen for me? Well, when I got told that I couldn't wrestle anymore and that the thing that was causing me the issue is that there was no fluid around my spinal cord, a couple of points of my neck where the, you know, the first surgery was and the second surgery, like there was no fluid there. And so if I was to get even like a little kick or, you know, an accident,

to happen, like I could be completely paralyzed. So in my head back then, I had come to the terms with the fact that I'm probably never going to be able to wrestle anymore, or at least for a very, very long time. Like, I didn't have my hopes up to wrestle. But, you know, when Edge did come back, I was like, nine years, okay, nine years is doable. I'll still be kind of young by then, you know. And so, you know, going into AW, there wasn't really a plan of like me to wrestle. straightway. And what people get confused about is that they think AEW doctors just cleared me to

wrestle and that was that. They weren't the ones that cleared me to wrestle. They told me I couldn't take a bump until I get like full scan of absolutely everything. So, you know, the first physicality, we didn't really ask permission. We kind of just did it. Then the doctors were like, yeah, I mean, do that. Just don't take a bump. Please. So they were given us the okay to do the physicality, limited physicality. But like once you get the taste of it and what, just come back to rest. than general. I was just like, man, I want to do more than just speaking on microphone or doing things backstage. I'm like, I probably will be able to do something. If I can do this small physicality, maybe I'm able to do a little bit more. So I asked Tony about it. And at first he was like,

well, maybe we can do tag matches depending on how cleared you are, you know, kind of like how we do with staying. And I was just like, yeah, but like if I was from back, I would want it to be like a single match. I feel like that's such a, there's a big deal. Not that I didn't want to work with the rest of the girls. I was just like, if I wanted to come back, I just had this dream in my head that it would be a singles match. Yeah. And so I took it upon myself to be like, all right, I'm going to go to a non, like, wrestling

doctor. Nothing to do with W3, nothing to do with AEW, just a doctor that doesn't have, like, is, I know doctors aren't supposed to be biased, but in my head, there's zero bias if I go to someone outside of wrestling, because this time around. If I was potentially able to get cleared, I would want it to be because I'm 100% ready to go. Not because they're like, well, maybe we can squeeze you in these and these matches. Like, I know, I want to be 100% ready. I want to go to a doctor that works with NFL, NBA, singers, like actors, just all these

amounts of people where like if he was to clear me, it would be because, again, I'm 100% ready to go because he wouldn't want his job to be. Yeah, this is your health we're talking about. Exactly. Like I didn't want to come back and be like, okay, I can be paralyzed. And so this time around I wanted to do things the right way where I protected myself a lot more. So Halloween, I went to this fantastic neurosurgeon and he did the x-ray. And I already had x-rays done a couple of years before and they were looking good,

but you can't really get a full, you know, image of your neck. by just an x-ray. That's just the bone part. Like, you want to see ligaments. You want to see fluid. You want to see everything. And that's kind of what the MRI does. It shows you the inside of your body, right?

So he was like, okay, the x-rays looking good. I'm not seeing any kind of, sorry, but my dog. This is great. Bring all the dogs. I just constantly walking around. He's sitting down now. But he was like, I'm not seeing any fractures. Your fusions are looking fantastic.

They look like they're fully fused. But that's triple check. Let's get the MRI. This is for the CT scan so we can get like a full deep, knee-degree look at how your neck is. Right. So I was like, all right. And I was like,

it's probably not going to get it done today, right? And he was just like, all right, we can set up for ASAP. Go downstairs, get your MRI, go across the street, get your CT scan. My dog does not want to sit down. Oh my gosh. Sit down, buddy.

Sit down. Please. Please. Oh, go, he's a puppy. He's a puppy. He's eating everything. I'm sorry. What are their names?

Ozian lobster. It comes lobster. Hey, lobster. Please sit down. No, my other dog just threw up. It's the whole thing here. My boyfriend's in the studio, so usually he takes my dogs. Like, our dogs, I'm sorry, and, like, keeps them quiet.

This is a boat. I thought I was just going to be talking to you. I mean, no, you get the three for one. So, sorry, let me go back to the story again. So we get everything done. he brings me back upstairs and then he was just like he looks at it and okay so i've seen a few of my MRIs now and i'm fully aware of like i'm not saying i'm a doctor of any kind and i know how to perfectly read them but i saw where i wasn't i didn't have any fluid and this time around i see

that there's nothing like it on my neck so i'm just like am i like reading this right or does that look like there's fluid around my spinal cord so then the doctor straightway was just like your neck looks fantastic. And I'm like, what? He was like, you got all your fluid back around your spine. I'm like, what? After five years, they used to like, yeah, it's a quick time. He didn't. He was just like, you, so you have all the fluid around your spine. Again, your fusion's like fantastic. He said the top one is nearly like a hundred percent fuse. It's just a tiny bit where like, you know, where there's a little bit of wiggle room, but he's not worried about it. You know, like that's not going to hinder me in any way, shape or form. But he was like, the most

important part is that you have your fluid around your spinal cord. So I said to him, I was like, well, what are the odds of maybe a paralyzed now? Because that's the thing that was holding me back, not the fusions, because my neck wasn't 100% fused when I came back the first time. And it's perfectly fine this time around. And then the top one is like 99% there, right? And so he was like, oh, it's very rare. He was like, now you have all that cushion and run your spinal cord. He was like, if something does happen with someone does kick you, the most that will happen is what happened before or you'll get like a little pain and then you just take some time away he was like but you know your body you know what to do you know what not to do um he was like but i trust that you can go in there

he was like if you were in the NFL and you had to do like you know football games where you had to charge at each other like full pelt and stuff you'd be like probably not but he was like but i trust that you could go in there and limit what you want to do and and and adjust what you need and he was like um he was just like your neck is it is great it's in great health and i i i'm I put that to the fact that the last five years, I've been nothing but healthy, being sober, going to the gym, just leading a very, very healthy lifestyle. My boyfriend is kind of like the one that kind of kick-started that for me too. Like, he was the one who was like, we should not drink anymore.

I would already have been sobered by drugs at that point. He was like, we should not drink anymore. We should not vape. I was vaping. We should not vape anymore. we should eat cleaner. So we should go back to the gym. So he kind of was the one that ignited that fire.

So I thank him along because I feel like if it was five or so years ago and I was still in Orlando and partying and stuff like that, I don't think my neck would be as healthy as it is now. You know, so I'm not saying a green drink is going to make my neck full healthy, but I'm saying like I'm less likely to do something stupid, you know, if I'm not, if I'm sober.

So your body essentially healed itself over time? Yeah. In five years. I couldn't believe it. I was like everyone's body heals differently. I know that. Like Sina had his neck surgery and within a couple of weeks he was back in the rain again, right? Or something like that.

Edge, it took nine years for him to finally come back to the ring. And I just thought mentally for a while I couldn't do it because I was too scared. But also, I just didn't know how far my neck came compared to how it was when it first got injured. So I was very fortunate in a way that my neck healed the way it did. I couldn't believe it. I cried my eyes out. I called my family straight away. I FaceTime them and they're all crying and stuff because family, like wrestling is our

life, you know, and for somebody to like, you know, had their career taking away from it at such young age without, you know, an end in sight when it comes to it is just, it's a miracle. It's absolutely fantastic. So it was just over the moon. then one of the first people I text to was Mercedes, Sasha Banks, because Sasha went through a lot too. She wasn't the one that was her,

but she was the one who accidentally ended someone's career. And she went through a lot mentally, like social media were cruel to her. And then it just messed her up in general because she was just like, I can't believe that happened. And it was a freak accident. You know, wrestling is wrestling.

You're going to get her eventually. Luckily, if you don't, you know, in your whole career, you don't get hurt. That's a miracle in itself. But it happens. And I just wanted her to be one of the first people to know that I was like, I'm back. You don't have to stress anymore.

Like, I'm back. Like, you didn't end it. I'm good. And she was just over the moon. She was so happy. And she was very pleased for me. She was very encouraging. And I just,

I like the fact that it kind of took all that weight off her shoulders too. You guys should probably have a match now. That's what I said. You know, my, like, so I really wanted to have that match with Sasha. Like, I wanted to have that rematch with her where, because we have a built-in story, you know. So I really wanted that. But she's kind of going down on her own path and stuff now doing her and thing. You don't know where she's going to be.

She has an exciting life going on right now. I'm very pleased. And, like, she's building her career outside of wrestling too. You know, it's awesome. And Naomi. So it's really, it's really cool to see. But, you know, I get to face Brit, too, which I've always wanted to face Brit. And then in this brand new company as well.

And the crazy part is that she's always been like a big fan of mine. I've sent the interviews bit of Brit. I've seen them off. She was a fan of mine. So it's kind of like a call that I get to have like a comeback story with her. Yeah. And she's so supportive. So I'm excited.

I'm excited to have that match. One day I'll have my match with Sasha there. What an October for you, though. I know. You and AEW and then you also find out you're cleared to wrestle. Oh my God. Roller coaster, I'm telling you. But like how, I mean, it can't get any better than this for you, I would think.

Exactly. Like I was like, okay, so I'm still focusing on things outside of wrestling and kind of building Saraya up as a brand rub and then, you know, age and being a wrestler and stuff like that. So I was always, I'm still in the mindset of still building that. But it's so good to be able to do something that I've been in love with my whole. life and just I mean doing it a hundred percent too like I can go in there I'm not saying I'm going to be doing a hundred percent of the things I'm not going to be going crazy you know I'm not going to be doing like you know but I wasn't like a huge you know I didn't come off my feet a lot

anyway when I was wrestling but yeah I'm not going to be doing too crazy because the thing that I love to do the most back then is I love to take a bump I love to take people's stuff I love to bump mostly on the back of my neck so we have to adjust that. So I have to adjust that to like a regular flat back bump and try to adjust it so it completely protects myself, even if my neck is 100% just because I want to be smart this time around. Have you taken a bump since you've got this news? Yeah. So there's a school around here in California that I've been going to. And I've already taken Rikishi school? Rikishi school?

No, not Rikishi school. No, it's Santino Bros. Oh, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, just go in there and, like, getting some ring rest off. And then also at AW, on Wednesdays, you know, people go there at like 10 a.m. in the morning to train a little bit and stuff. So get in there, just getting some ring rest up by hitting the ropes and rolling around and stuff like that. But yeah, the first bump that you take after five years.

You're like, I'm not a big callous anymore. Like, my body is fragile because you couldn't really, like, you couldn't really feel it as much back then. So I was wrestling like nearly every single day. Since I was 13 years old, I never really had any time off. So it was literally like I was one giant scab. And then also, your body's completely healed. And you're like, what did I do for so long?

What the fun? Yeah, it's a wild feeling. But I'm getting used to it again. What a wild story. All of this is because at 25, the thing that you love more than anything is taken away from you against your control. And then you're faced with like, now what do I do? Not many people retire at 25. And then you're faced with like, well, now what do I want to do with the rest of my life when you'd already been doing that thing, which is crazy to say, for half of your life.

Yeah. Yeah. So I have to like, I have to rebuild Suraya at 30 years old because I've always been page, or I was Brittany Knight before I was even page on the Indies. Like I've been in wrestling since I was 13. So I've been in the wrestling business professionally for like 17 years, right? But I've never been Saraya. So it's pretty much like I'm starting from scratch again, but it's not just wrestling. Like I'm rebuilding a career outside of that. So it's like, there's a lot of work and there's a lot of self-doubt, like, like insecurity with some things and like, you know, and you want things to come quicker, you know, it's going to take time. But yeah, so just rebuilding myself from scratch again, it is a lot of work.

It is a lot. I feel lucky that, you know, I have the platform I do. The transition from page to Serraea is that luckily AEW has a big enough platform where people are starting to recognize Saria over page. Yeah. But outside of wrestling. When your name came up during your debut, I mean, the crowd knew exactly who it was. Yeah, I feel like a one-six on my face.

No, when they saw your name, when they saw Saraya came up. Yeah. The crowd just went crazy. They went crazy. I have never had a pop like that before my life. And I had a good reaction coming back the first time. I was like, I'm back, you know. Yeah.

And that was crazy. And then like my debut just for the Davis Championship was crazy. Even when people didn't know who I was back then, you know. But it just felt really good to have just all the support from so many people. It just felt really good. I was like, man, they really did miss me. Because again, you get in your head a lot. You're like, well, maybe not because then you think social media is real. And then it's, you know, the trolls that they're the loudest on social media. Do you think the whole world hates you? And in fact, it's just like six people with different like multiple accounts just attacking you for a reason. And egg icons, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Like anime profile pictures, you know. A bunch of numbers after their name. Exactly. Exactly. It's just people that it's really is jealousy. And it's hard to just ignore it. And I wish I could ignore it. I tell it's easy to tell other people to ignore it.

Yeah. But some days is worse than others. Like some days I'll just delete social up my phone and like right now I don't have social on my phone. And then other days I will look at it. And then I get sucked into people talking shit. And I'm like, but I forget that all these people have been so nice at the same time. Like it's just human nature to pay more attention to negativity, especially in today.

days in age when everything I feel like is so negative. Which social media platform do you think has the meanest comments? Twitter. Twitter is awful. Although TikTok can be used as a place where people actually do video. This is what I don't like is like. So for example, people will make TikToks on my boyfriend, right? Just be mean to him.

He'll do a TikTok back and his video would be under review. but the first person you started the video that was bullying him is not under review. So I'm just like, what is the deal? Yeah. Like we need to change that kind of thing on TikTok. I feel like. TikTok shows your stuff to so many people who don't know who you are. Don't know what you do for a living.

So those people are, I don't know why it is. But TikTok's, TikTok comments are so mean. They get, you look on every video and you're just like, why are you being mean to this person? Like, they can just be confident that day. feeling beautiful today and everyone was just like, you fucking ugly. And you're like, like,

let them have a day where they feel beautiful. You know what I mean? Like, I'm just like, what is your problem? Like, I would never be one of those people that goes out of my way

to talk shit to someone. I will respond to people, but I'll never start it. I will finish it. That's serious. How long after your debut did you realize that they were saying your name wrong on air?

Oh my God. As soon as I looked at it, as soon as I looked at like Twitter, the first, well, I got a bunch of texts, first of all. I was inundated with it shit on a text being, but people so angry that they said my name wrong. Like, people get more angry than I do. I'm just used to it. And then I get on Twitter and just everybody's just being like, it's soera idiots. Excaliper is usually pretty good at like making sure that everybody's name is pronounced perfectly. So did he not come up to you and ask? No, because I was a surprise from everyone backstage, too. So it wasn't even their fault. And that's why I even mentioned it on my Twitter. I was just like, it's not their fault.

You know, they didn't like get to see me beforehand. And so everyone just assumes the American way of saying my name is Soraya because of the way you guys pronounce that R-A-Y. Yeah. But the way I like to pronounce it is Saraya, like a ray of sunshine. But yeah, I like I didn't get to. to talk to them beforehand. But after that, Taz still kept getting it wrong.

He cannot get my name right to save his life. He'd be like, Soraya, Srea, Seraia, Sariah, Sraia, Sraerraer. I brought commentary. I'm like, bro, come on. Are you itching to have a match now that you know that you can? Oh, yeah. I'm dying to get back in the rain again. Like, I'm excited that it's not too far away.

I don't know when this will be aired, essentially. But I mean, the 19th. be this month is November is going to be the day that I actually step back in the ring again. And I know there's going to be a lot of eyes on that match. So there's a lot of pressure to make sure I put on a good, a good enough match where everyone just like, okay, welcome back. We like that. She's back. But there's going to be a lot of nervous people watching me too. Because I feel like a lot of people who aren't haters, they're just worried about me. They're going to be watching. And then you have the haters on top of that that just want

to see me fail or her are going to be watching. and then the people that are just happy that I'm back are going to be watching. I feel like that first bump in the match it's going to be a scary moment. But everybody, everybody watching, just everybody in general is just going to be, it's going to be a big deal.

I'm going to be under a microscope that day. And everything I'm going to be doing is going to be scrutinized. It's just I'm fully expecting it. That's why after the match, I'm not even going to look at social media. I'm not even going to have it on my phone because I'm already too much.

my head to the point where I just want it to be good and I have to focus on making sure I keep myself safe, make sure that Brit is safe, you know, and just the pressure is just having a match up. It's just wild to me. It's just, it's a beautiful story, but it's like, uh, uh, makes me nervous. The United States Soccer Federation present the U.S. Soccer podcast. My name is David Goss, and I'm joined by my co-host, Megan Klinenberg. And now we're giving people an inside look at the World Cup. Time's ticking.

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It's so funny how you're talking about, like, how in one aspect of your life you're sober. And then the other aspect of your life, you're like, I got it, like delete this off my phone and then I bring it back and I delete it off my phone and then I download it again. It's like it almost seems like a similar relationship. Oh yeah. Like social media is like an addiction kind of thing.

For sure, yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, because at the end of the day, I wish I didn't have to have it because it's essentially your business card these days, you know, like no one has actual physical business cards really anymore. People just go, here's my social media handle, you know. And so I wish I didn't have to have it for a business perspective. I do have to have it.

And then you can't help but read what people are saying about you too. Like I don't get what anyone says. No one truly ignores everything that they say. No one just doesn't look at social media. Of course you look at it. You can't help it. You want to see what people are saying about you and stuff. Also you want to share parts of your life on social media too to keep everyone updated

and all that kind of fun stuff. But yeah, it is somewhat of. an addiction. I try to keep the screen time to a minimum. Me and Ronnie do, he'll be like, okay, we should delete it off our phone today. And I'm like, right, we should. Yeah. So in the past two days, we haven't had it. And it's a good thing. You don't miss it once you're off it. You just scroll at the end of the day. Sometimes you're not even paying attention. You're just scrolling, you know. Yeah, it's like people have forgotten how to be bored. Yeah, exactly. If you're standing in line at the DMV or something, the second you get bored, just pull out your

phone and you start scrolling. Exactly. Or it's just like more people have social anxiety because they're so used to being looking at, you know, screens constantly or not being as outside as much as we used to, you know, when we're younger. Yeah. So if you're in a public place, a lot more people have anxiety. Like if you buy yourself in like a restaurant or in a coffee shop or like you said, the DMV, you're just like, you can't handle just standing there just looking around or just like wait, wait and you're just like, no, I shouldn't look at my phone because I feel uncomfortable. There's so many people around me right now. You know, it's just a lot of, a lot, like, it's social media.

It ruins a lot of lives, I'm telling you. What do you think's the biggest difference between Soraya and Paige? Suraya is more mature. That's definitely a big thing and sober. The thing is, with Paige, you know, she was, I'm trying to explain how she was. First of all, she was like, you know, this little emo girl, teenager kind of like, like the auntie teenager face. I'm going into Serere.

Like, I can't imagine myself being that character anymore. Just that I would rather be a more elevated version of that character, more grown-out version of that character, because I'm not her anymore. She's the young version of me. And now I'm like the older version. But yeah, that kind of page just didn't give an F about anybody, not even herself. She just cared about outside of wrestling party and stuff like that. Where me as Sarah, I focus on elevating myself, remaining healthy, mentally being happier.

My dog's being crazy. I'm running around the house. I'm so sorry. No, I think this is great. It adds to the conversation. Yeah. Okay. So what's the, you know, wrestling is something you've done your entire life.

Actually, you grew up in a wrestling for. family. Is wrestling like the only job occupation that you could even possibly think of doing when you're younger? Well, when before I started wrestling at 13, I really wanted to be a vet because I love animals. I was a psycho. I would like leave the house when I was younger and I would come home with a different animal every other day. Like I was a nightmare. I stole the neighbor's dog. So there was this, this couple, they, they, they, uh, with the owners of the Chinese restaurant around the corner, which we'd love to go to. Her name was Emily. And she was so sweet. And she had an Alsatian. And to be fair, I didn't realize it was hers. But it wasn't her front yard. And like a

psycho. I was like, 12 or something like that. It was like, this dog is off its leash somewhere. I might as well take it home. And I took the dog home with me. And then Emily comes and knocks on the door. I was just like, I think Saras still her dog. And I was just so sorry. And so I had to get the dog back. It was very sad. But then there was this old lady that lived up the street. you know, I would always go to her house. And she always had, like, a ton of animals. She had, like, turtles, birds, cats, hamsters. She just had all these animals.

She was just this lady that lived by herself. And so she had, like, this, you know, the typical overrun house of animals. So I go there all the time, and I would just take these animals home. Snakes, a turtle one time. I took a couple of birds home, rabbits.

Like, I just constantly took some home. And my dad would just hate it because he was scared of, snakes, you just get a mice, and both of them escaped. So we had a snake room and around the house somewhere, which I found. But then the mice got out and they all bred with each other and the house was just overrun with all these mice. And then the council around the area had to do like this big like spray down because

everyone's house went overrun with mice because I decided to bring two mice home that were male and female. And they just was like, hump in and going crazy. and then like after a month they were just everywhere. Well, you could still be a vet. I could still be a vet. I really could still be a vet. No, wrestling kind of took over my life.

I mean, you're a wrestling that, you know, veteran. You've got so, I mean, you could, if you want. I mean, I could. I really could. But I feel like being in the entertainment industry, it kind of like sucks you in. And then you can't kind of let it go, especially if you're a wrestler.

You know, like Rick Flair, he like retires, come back. You know what I mean? Like, that's going to be me. Batista told me that it's like quicksand going back into wrestling. Oh, yeah. As soon as I walked out, I was like, no, I need to do more than just what I'm doing here in AEW. You know, so I'm like, I need to try and wrestle. As soon as I got that initial walkout, it was just like the feeling, the adrenaline just over.

The adrenaline is like a drug. Yeah. That I say is like the best drive. like you just get addicted to that feeling like there's nothing like i can imagine that's better than that like walking out and like whether you're getting food or chid it doesn't matter you're making the people feel something and the atmosphere and stuff it's just it's just a really cool experience and you just can't get over it that's why i'm saying like no rest is truly retired we never truly retire everyone must be shocked when you tell them that you're only 30 because you've lived 14 lives

already i feel like yeah i call my i call myself a cat because i call myself a cat because as I said, I've been living nine lives. But, like, I have been in a business a long time. And people think I'm older than what I am just because I've been in the business for so long. And I'm like, you don't think I love. And you already had a movie made about your life. I know. I was 21 when Dwayne first told me that he was making this movie.

And I'm like, a 21-year-old is being told they're about to have a movie made about their life. Like, by the rock. By the rock. Like, that is the wildest. Like, I've had a really wild life, a good life. a good life with some ups and downs, you know, but like I have to be grateful for what I have. Like is I've had some really cool opportunities and I mean, just having the movie.

I should like a person should be dead when they get a movie, right? That's usually how it works. But not me. I was alive and kicking. And you, so Rock tells you, Dwayne, DJ, whatever we want to call him, he tells you that he wants to make a movie about your life before you had even debuted on the main roster. So it was the day before. And I've told this story a lot that people need to hear if they haven't heard it.

It's just surreal. So like obviously, you know, you're in NXT or FCW or whatever it was. But you go up onto the main roster for big pay-per-view so you get to experience everything, right? So I was up there at WrestleMania and I was sitting in Katerin and then I get a text to my phone being like, hey, it's DJ. I would love to see you at some point. And I'm like, who the fuck is DJ? And why is he texts on my phone?

And I was like, who is this person? And so, D. Malenko was like, this, Dwayne Johnson. And I was like, oh, my God, Dwayne Johnson has texted my phone. This is crazy. Like, freaking this legend has texted my phone. So I was like, okay. So I was like, yeah, I'm available at any point, you know, like, whatever you name. He just trying to be cool, you know?

And so he sent someone to come grab me. I'd go to his locker room. I walk in. And then he was just like, hey, I'm DJ. And I'm like, yeah, I know. This is crazy. Hello. I was like, I'm Soraya.

And it was like, you know, I watched your movie or I watched your documentary that your family had. He was like, I couldn't sleep one night while filming Fault and Furious, which thank God for insomnia because it helped me here. But yeah, he watched it and he just fell in love with my family and he was just like, I want to make a movie on your life. And I was like, oh my gosh, what the fuck? I was just like, you're serious? And then he was like, yeah. And then I was just in the writer's room. And tomorrow you're going to be debut and you're going to win the Davis championship.

I was like, what? And so there was just overrun with this emotion. And I was just trying my eyes down. And he's like handed me all these tissues. Like, you know, because I'm like, sobbing. I'm just like, I can't believe it. Like, I can't believe this is happening in 21. This is so crazy.

And so he was like, but don't tell anyone. No one's supposed to know this, like any of it. And I'm like, I have to try and keep the secret. Like you're telling a kid to keep something secret. I was like, okay, good luck. But as I went to walk out, Tumina was coming in because they're cousins, right? Yeah. She was going to go say hi.

And then she looked at me, like, really confused why I was even in his locker room, you know? And I'm just like, crying. And then she was like, are you okay? And I was just like, I'm just a really big fan of Dwayne. Like, I didn't know what to say to her because I was like, I can't tell you why. You know, so I'm just like acting like the biggest fucking fan girl, which I was. But I was just like sobbing. So then, you know, I leave and then, I mean, the movie doesn't get made until like a few years.

Like, yeah, you know, everyone went into production. And then it nearly got like, like, you know, stopped completely because the mistakes I was making so publicly, you know, and so like, I need to get my shit together because I was like, if this movie doesn't get made because of my actions, I'm going to regret that for the rest of my line. So I eventually did, though, and it did come out and I did get my shit together and the movie was a hit. Did somebody tell you, like, you got to get everything together here, Paige. So, yeah. So W. Were really fantastic. I mean, they were helping me and they were keeping me updated

and they were texting me and just constantly, like, sending out like that olive branch of like, we want to help you, like let us help you. And at the time, I didn't listen to people because I didn't think that I could be helped. I was like, you can't help the person that doesn't want to be help.

And I didn't want to be help at the time either. And so I was just going through a whole lot, you know, the first surgery, all the public stuff that came out, the videos that came out. and I was just at completely rockboard. I'm like, it was fucking awful time in my life.

Like, and I said to my, I said to myself, I was like, I was like in a bush outside of Walmart, right? When these videos came out, like I ran out of my house and I just started running. And I don't know why I was running, but I was running. And I got to like Walmart and then I hid in a bush. And I don't why, but I just felt so humiliated that I was out there on the fucking internet from people to see. and no one was ever supposed to see those. I was 19, you know. And I just remember being so low at that point

and saying like to myself, if my dad doesn't accept me in this, my dad's opinion of me mattered so much, you know, I probably wouldn't be here today is how bad it was. And I remember calling him and I was absolutely just said, I'm like, I'm so sorry. You know, I was completely fucking heartbroken. And I was like, I'm so sorry.

And he straight away was like, I don't care. And I was just like, what? He was like, I don't care. He was like, look at Kim Kardashian. I was like, dad. He was just like, no, he was just like, everyone does what you done. He was like, you're just in this phone line. He was like, so you had sex.

If they're mad about it, they're probably virgins or they can't pull a decent bird. You know, it's what he's saying. But he was just like, who cares? and so I called my brothers after that and I was like, I'm so sorry, and they said the same thing. My family was just like, we don't care about that stuff.

We just want to be there for you. And so after that, I just remember feeling like a lot of weight coming off my shoulders. Although publicly, people would recognize me and say the meanest shit. Like Twitter was real life for a second. Twitter is not usually real.

Like people were hurling fucking shit at me. I remember one time I was sitting at a bar with my friends and someone asked like a picture or something like that and I was like, yeah, like, can we get it afterwards? I'm just like going to eat my food and then totally we can have it breakfast as in the middle eating. And then he was just like, I only want it because you're a fucking horn star. You know, hang on second.

Can you keep the dogs quiet please? My dogs are freaking out right now. Oh, they're just saying hello. Sorry. It's our assistant Willett is down there right now. They get very excited. They get very excited. Will it?

Thank you. So, sorry, they get so excited to see it. They, like, love him to bits, which is a great person, but they get extremely excited. But yeah, so he called me, this guy. He called me a fucking porn star, and, like, it was the first time of hearing it in public, like, someone saying that to me. And usually it's just on social media, and I have control of that because I can just delete it off my phone, right? Yeah.

But having that in person, I, like, ran to the bathroom and I, like, ran to the bathroom, and I started sobbing. I was like crying my eyes out. I was just like, I can't believe someone said that to me and I'm not a fucking porn star. Like, this is not who I am. Like, this is not what I wanted.

Like, this is, you know, someone, like, I'm a victim in this. Like, people don't realize that I'm the fucking victim in this. People just think I put him on the internet. And I'm like, I would never, that wasn't even on my phone. Yeah. That stuff wasn't on my, in my cloud.

It wasn't in my stuff. It was on my boyfriends at the time. The phone. And so, I mean, I believe it was him. We can deny it all he wants, but I believe it was him because no one else had that stuff. Ozzie Lobster. Will you start, please? My goodness.

Welcome back, guys. I know. They're just like, for some reason they were quiet for the rest of the podcast, but this one, they want to cause absolute mayhem. Hey, excuse me. Thank you. This is just a day in the life. Day in the life.

This is why we need a rally show because it's just constant circus. my house. But apologies. No, and you're in such a different place in your life now. Yeah. I mean, and I feel like that is now overstated by the fact that you're now working for a different employer. Yeah. And like, you know, I never want to talk bad about W.E because they've helped me so much throughout my career. Even when I was going for drugs and alcohol, they got me therapists and stuff like that. Like Bob, who is an in-house therapist for drugs and alcohol too, he would be on the call would be every day or whenever I wanted, he would drop what he did. And then he would also get me therapists for my area of where I was living. So WDWB has always helped me in that

capacity and stuff, you know, and I loved my time with them. I really did. I loved it. I loved it. You know, I don't have a bad thing to say about them. But it is nice to be somewhere new and kind of start fresh. And because I am at a fresh part of my life. Like, I want to be Saraya now. And I want to be able to, because the thing that was, I made me a little bit scared to maybe go back to WWE because there was an opportunity is I just didn't, I was scared that I was going to be sitting on my butt again doing nothing and then not being able to

go out and do anything either because you need to ask permission and then they have control of what you can and can't do. Right. And so that was the thing that was so terrifying to me because I didn't want to stay at home for years again and do absolutely nothing. Like, I'm 30 years old now and I want to be able to branch out and do other things. And so with AEW and Tony, they were just like, you can go do whatever you want. As long as you've come to work, we'll be happy. And then if I have to do any TV stuff, of course, I would ask them or tell them what I'm going to do and what the insinance of it is,

but they're always going to be like, you can do whatever you want. And we don't want a percentage of it either, which I thought was like a big deal. I was like, you don't want to take something away from me. And you don't want to take my Twitch away? Fantastic. Because that was such a big deal in WWE. Not with Triple H because kind of let NXT people keep their Twitch. It was the main roster that kind of got taken

away. And then Leah lost her job over at one point. And then she got rehired again. It was Selena Vega. Yeah. And so I just didn't want that to happen again where opportunities got taken away from me or I wasn't allowed to do something one week or the other, which I do trust

Hunter with. But you just never know, I don't know who this other boss is now. Nick, right? I'm not familiar with him. So that kind of like made me a little bit skeptical to it. That's the only thing because with Hannah, if it was just Hunter, I'd be like, you know, like I trust you, but Tony just like made it so easy to me. And he was just like, we'll do as much as you want to do too within AW. You get to make the rules on what you can and can't do. And I'm just like, I love it. I love you. love that. Like being my, getting to be Saraya and having control of my life. I'm like, I haven't had that feeling for a long time. Yeah. And in work wise. So it just,

it feels like, it just felt like the right move at the time. And I know a lot of people were mad at me and stuff like that. But it was nothing personal like to the WWE. It really wasn't. It was just something that was right for me. And I have to make the decisions for me now. Well, now you're living in LA where, I mean, there's a lot of opportunities. here. Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of opportunities here. And I just, I realized as well, like, Joylin can't as I said, but like, I didn't realize how many Zoom calls you have to take these days. Like, before that, before I could really like spread my wings and do stuff, as soon as I left WWE, the Zoom calls started, right? Because people were fantastic. Like, all these production companies

want to want to work with me. And I think that's so fantastic. All these publishers for a book want to work with me and I'm like, then it's fantastic and just like, you know, all these opportunities that I couldn't get before. And now, you know, appearing before me, it's freaking fantastic. And it's all the hard work that I put in for, you know, the past 17 years. I know that. But also it's a fantastic team that I've built around me now that, you know, I'm kind of my own boss, you know, with Joy Lynn and Meach and just, just, um, UTA and just everybody that I have around me just been so fantastic and like just I'm just so I just feel so fortunate and I'm excited to build Saran. So a book? Is that what's going to have? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, um, a book. I don't know

the extent of which I'm going to go with the book like like a timeline wise. I'm like, do I tell up until this point, do I make it like a few different books because I've lived so many lives and every story needs its own personal book? But I'm like, you know, do I just go all out and just do this one book? You know, forward by Dwayne Johnson, you know. We could do a foreword by Dwayne. Sure. I mean, he would be super sweet and helpful with it.

But, like, I'm lucky enough to have that opportunity where, like, I could go to Dway or I could just go to the Bellas or A.J. Lee or just people that were influential in my life. Like, my boyfriend Ronnie, my family could do the four words. You know, I just have so many wonderful people around me now, like a really good community that, like, they can be involved in it. There's going to be a lot of people in the comments being like, well, when can we get this book? I know. Well, you have to worry. We're just getting started with it now.

But I don't know. A book could take one year. A book could take two years. You know, I'm trying to be as quick as possible, but I don't want to be, I don't want to half-foss stuff too. Very meticulous when it comes to my story. Like, I want to tell the nitty-gritty, the dark side of everything I went through growing up as well as, you know, being a teenager as well as getting into WWE and what I was doing behind

the scenes. Like I want and also the year and a half that was crazy in my life. Like I want to tell the story of my addictions and the tapes and everything. Like I want to be able to help people and I want to be able to tell the story,

the real story because everyone has their assumptions and everyone you know can social media again like kind of changes stuff and like it all gets mixed and like matched together. So I'm like, okay, this is the story. This is what happened. This is what happened throughout my life. And you know, you don't have to make any wash out. I think what's exciting about where you're at in your life right now is you've got awesome stuff

going on in AEW. Yeah. Also the potential for tons of awesome stuff to go on outside of the wrestling world too. Yeah. Yeah. The wonderful thing is, is that like I really do want to build more so outside of wrestling, because I really do want to have a career outside of it. Like, in acting? Acting, just mostly acting. Like, I really want to act. Like, so, you know, I do have, like, a good, important meeting coming up, which I'm really looking forward to.

And I have, again, the reduction company. Whatever it is. Yeah. I want to do the docu series. Like, because I know I did Toot Diva, isn't that something I would not want to be a part of, like, that kind of dynamic again, where it's kind of just like a bunch of girls. and everyone's drinking and people like, you know, like the housewives kind of vibe,

that's not me anymore. And sometimes look, Bicottoldee doesn't like a cringe. I'm like, uh, you know, like, but I was young is what it is. I drink and stuff.

But now I want to do more of a docu series where it's like, they follow along with me rebuilding myself and Ronnie. This is about Ronnie too. And him, you know, he went through a crazy amount of shit too. Like we just both had like this mirrored life of just

going through the most bonkest thing, but coming up from it and getting bigger and better, you know, and he's now headlining festivals and stuff like that. So he has such a wonderful story to tell and he has a daughter and all that kind of fun stuff. And then me just rebuilding my life from scratch pretty much or rebuilding my career from scratch at 30 years old, you know, and trying to make it a serrear now and just the whole rebranding thing. Like, I just want to do a docu-follow series like that. I feel like it could really help a lot of people, but they can also see like the real me as well, not just page, the real me. This is all so exciting.

I know. I'm so excited. I'm so excited about all these opportunities that you have in front of you. Yeah. Thank you. And again, no, thank you. You're only 30. I know.

I like to say early 30. Because if this was like 10 years ago, you get to 30, like, and you're like, oh, my gosh, you're 30 already. You didn't want to hit it because then your old news. But these days, like, the world, is more welcoming to women that are aging, I feel like, women especially, because I feel like men when they get older, like, I'm not saying it's easier, but I'm saying you guys have a lot more longevity when it comes to the entertainment business. But nowadays, yeah, like I interviewed

Pierce Brasen recently and I'm like, my goodness, I would give anything to look as handsome as him. Right. You're like George Clooney and stuff like that, you know, just like, you know, but then women would always be scrutinized as soon as they start getting like one wrinkle and stuff like that they would go into like playing grandmas and stuff but now everyone's way more forgiving when it comes to aging which i which i love so um the industry is a lot more open to women that kind of 30 and getting a little bit older because i feel like i don't look they no i feel like it looks great on you like look you're glowing yeah well being sober people are oh by the way this is what really frustrates me is people think I got all this surgery done, right? I got my boobs done. I got my lips

done like four years, actually five years ago. And you have to get them dissolved. I haven't had them done ever since. I get a little bit Botogs where it just smoothed out the wrinkles, but it disappears after three months, you guys. It doesn't just stay there, right? But people think I've had like a full face lip. I had cheek implants and stuff. I'm just like, I'm just gifted. I don't know what to tell you. I've lost my freaking beer weight from my face. I don't know. I haven't had like, I swear on everyone I care about, I did not have surgery on my face. Like, I haven't had it. I haven't been under the knife. I haven't had any filler in my cheeks. I haven't had my nose done. I'm like, but people just assume, I'm like, should I be flied by this or should I be offended by this?

Like, I don't know. People are ridiculous. This is what, I mean, you're not bloated from alcohol anymore. Exactly. Exactly. And that's what my boyfriend tells me all the time too, because he's, he's around me 24-7 and he knows I don't get anything done to my face, right? Like, filler in here and here and I get my Botox and I haven't had my lips on any years. But he's just like, people don't realize that once you get sober, all that water weight that you're retaining just like drops. Like you don't have that in your face anymore. Like you get to see your bone structure a little bit more.

You know, and if you stay fit, you have to be healthy with it too, you know. So I'm just like, I wish people would leave me alone and they're just like, just a different person. Leave Soraya alone. Leave me alone. Like leave Britney alone. Leave me alone. And then also, um,

I used to have makeup all the way up to like my eyebrows, you know, back in the day of the deep page day where it was just all black. I don't wear that much makeup anymore as much makeup. I still wear it, of course. I'm not wearing the crazy dark super black like makeup either. So people just assume that I've had surgery because I wear less makeup too. And I'm like, you son of a bitch is just tell me I'm looking decent and move on. I don't say anything at all.

As we as we start to wrap this up, I feel like you and I listen to a lot of the same music growing up. So give me like your top five bands. So I love the Aes. Like the Atees is like my favorite genre of music. I would say Skid Row, but I got in a fight online recently with Sebastian Bach. Oh no. He's an awesome.

I was so disappointed. So this is the story, right? Sorry, I know this is a number of story. I apologize. That's great. My boyfriend was about to go and do this festival. And then his laptop. like got stolen. He don't know where they were. But the laptops are so important because it has

the lighting, it has the rap beats, it has the synths, it has everything, right? It doesn't have his vocals and stuff on there. He's naturally so gifted with his vocals, but these laptops weren't missing. And he doesn't like to put on half a show, right? So he was like, I'd rather cancel than put on a show that's 50%. So Sebastian Buck saw that and said that he's not a real rock star and all that kind of stuff and you shouldn't have to use laptops and running. It's just like, I don't know if you listen to my music, but I rap and my music too as well as sing. So, like, the band can't just do these, like, rap beats, like, popular monster if you listen to that. You know, you can't just do that using your instruments and fucking beatboxing.

You know what you mean? Like, you need those laptops for that and for the lights and stuff like that. So, and then Sebastian Magh tried to say that he never canceled shows, which he has. But he also said that he doesn't use laptops, which he does. Like, there's literally videos of him with the laptops. I don't know what he's talking about. But he just, like, decided to say that when he's not real rocks out. Anyway, the whole of the music industry had Ronnie's back.

Like, Nikki Six from KISS was just like, what are you talking about, Sebastian? Like, you're so old and, you know, like, you don't have the gate keep rock and roll. And Ronnie just became like this fucking, like, God in the music industry, like, talking to Sebastian Back. We didn't realize how much Sebastian Beck was fucking hated. I was like, this guy is a menace. He got arguing with Chris Jericho. fuck sick at one point. Like, he is a menace.

So I tried to, like, write on his Instagram, like, something nice. Like, you don't realize, like, you know, what you would use as, like, a back-in-tape. So, like, for example, when Erasmith had, like, you know, like, welcome to the jungle or something like that. Or even, like, even kids, they had, like, intros and stuff like that. They didn't play those life. They had, like, even if it was, like, a CD or, like, a cassette, you know, like, they had that. I was trying to say to him, like, it's 2020. we can use laptops now.

You don't have to put in a tape and play the intro that way. We do it that way. Anyway, he was telling me I was fake and that wrestling's fake and stuff like that. And I was like, I'm just as fake as your fucking hair plugs. You know, what's going on? I was like, as if this awesome. I was like one of my music idols.

Like I loved like Sebastian back. He was my favorite, you know, singer of old, like, not my favorite singer, favorite band of like all time because I can't believe him. I can't believe him. I'm arguing with him. So long story short, he is not on my top five list.

Sorry, Skid Row, you're out. You're done. Actually, not Skid Row. Just Sebastian Bug. They haven't used to be done. So Skid Row minus about. I'm not going to hinder them.

Okay. Yeah, just don't listen to any of Sebastian Bug's solo stuff. But yes, so everyone has to check out Fallen and Reverse, of course. Fuller reverse. Going into AE's, again, I will say Skid Row, different band. But I love Aerosmith. I love Queen, anything to do with Freddie Mercury.

And Eminem is one of my favorites of all times. too because he's such an incredible lyricist. Yeah. That's a great list there. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not being number one on top of that music list. I'm telling you, everyone needs to listen to Poland and robust.

I appreciate how real you are. Like how open and honest and raw you are about everything. Thank you. I try to be. I try to be as open and honest as possible because people always try and take a deep dive. and I hate when people try and tell my story and it's not accurate. So I try and tell my story as much as I can, but people to really understand.

I hate misinformation. That's something that bovvies me so much. Yeah. I appreciate that. So thank you for your time. Yeah. And I end every conversation talking about gratitude because it's such an important part of my life. I wake up every day.

I say out loud three things that I'm grateful for. So that's how I end every interview too. So, Saraya, what are three things in your life that you're grateful for right now? I'm grateful for my health. That includes sobriety and stuff. I'm grateful for my health. I'm grateful for my boyfriend and I'm grateful for my family. I love that.

Congrats on everything. I'm so excited to see you back in the ring. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm excited, too much. Please don't be too hot of me, you guys. I'm not going to read it. That don't be too hot of you.

Suraya, thank you so much. Thank you. Isn't she great? Huge thank you to Saraya for joining us. Can't wait to see what the rest of this year brings for her. And then we're heading in the new year here in like six weeks. So my goodness, what's 2023 going to bring for her? And bring for all of us as well.

If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. Take a screenshot, tag us. She's at Soraya. I am at Chris Van Fleet. I will leave you at the words of St. Augustine. I tweeted this the other day. I love this quote so much. much. The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only one page. Be great. Be grateful.

We'll see you on the next one for some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do with rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it, but get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast.

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