Saraya On Returning to WWE As Paige, Neck Injury, "Fighting With My Family", Sobriety, Mercedes Mone

On her podcast Rulebreakers:

"It was actually my idea. Because going into the podcast space, it's really oversaturated, obviously, but then you have people that are successful, like you, and The Bellas do really good and stuff. So you really have to try and figure out ways to make you stand out. I've always loved Jackass, Simple Life, anything that's kind of physical and putting someone in an uncomfortable position, because then you see their true self. So I love that kind of stuff, because we could do a sit-down interview and I can be a success like you, but then I'm like, okay, but then I'm going to be just like you. So I need to find something that makes me just a little bit different. So I was like, we should incorporate torturing our guests a little bit. So we're still adding more to it, but we'll be doing the talking, and it's really fun, then we go into a segment where we give them electric dog shock collars, or make them eat something weird. It's getting bigger and bigger and bigger, this stuff that we're trying to incorporate, but we also have to make it translate to the audio space, which makes it a little bit more difficult."

On a prank on Titus O’Neil that backfired:

"Jeff Tremaine is the creator of Jackass, and he came to WWE once and was like, I want to do this prank show backstage with the WWE wrestlers. A lot of people didn't want to be on the list. They were on a no-prank list or whatever. I love that stuff. I will do anything. I had to do this fake speed dating thing where everybody was on in on it apart from this one guy who I was doing a speed date with. So he just thinks he's talking to a regular girl, that's just part of this thing. The whole time I have the dog shock collar around my leg, and then he's trying to chat with me and stuff. Jeff is zapping me, and I'm just like this [twitching], and he's wondering why the f*ck I'm twitching like this. Then the waiter comes over, who is part of the crew too, and Jeff's like, 'Punch him in the face.' I was like, Okay, I'm doing this. It was in my ear. I'm so old school, it was in my ear. So the waiter comes down, I pop him in the face and stuff, and then the guy was like, 'What the f*ck is your problem? This chick is f*cking crazy!' I was like, sorry, I just got out of jail and stuff. it was a whole thing. But, yeah, he would put me in uncomfortable positions all the time and I just loved it. I actually turned into a menace because they gave me a cattle prod. I was a nightmare with that. So they gave it to me and I was going around backstage and just zapping everybody with it. It was really bad. Then I got Titus O'Neil, who I didn't know was on the no-prank list. So I zapped him, and he f*cking lost his mind, and he's the nicest guy ever. Just an angel. I've never seen so mad. He didn't speak to me for a couple of weeks after that, but he ended up going up to Vince and telling on me. And then Vince brings me into the office, and he was just like, 'Paige, please stop assaulting people backstage.' He thought it was hilarious, but I got scolded for a second. He was like, 'Please put the cattle prod down. Don't do it anymore.' I was like, okay, that's fine."

On making up with Titus O’Neil:

"A couple of weeks later he was back to being an angel to me. I was like, 'I'm so sorry, Titus. I didn't realize you were on the no prank list.' He was like, 'But why would you want to shock me with a cattle prod?' And I was like, sorry. I was younger. I was 23 or something like that. But I was like, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. I assaulted a lot of people that day. It was really bad. I remember Neville. I did him, and he was like, 'That's assault. That's assault.' And I'm like, Oh, stop it. And then we run around doing it to everybody else too. Oh, my God. I was a nightmare. So anyway, that was the inspo for the podcast too. Because I was just assaulting people. It's my favorite pastime."

On thinking she would never wrestle again after retiring:

"Well, they told me I'd never wrestle again. So the first neck surgery I had, that went really well. Then they said, 'Okay, you need to take a year or so out.' So that's what I did. Then I came back, and I didn't want to look like I missed a step. So when I came back, I was like I'm gonna go full throttle into it, and I was back for like six weeks before I got kicked in the back of the neck again. But I had these newer girls up with me, which was Mandy and Sonya at the time. For some reason, the producers wanted me to keep taking the comeback bumps. I was like, well, we have these new girls. Maybe they can take the bumps for me, because I'm still fresh out of surgery. But they're like, 'No, we think you should do it.' I was like, okay, and I didn't say no. I should have said no, but didn't say no, because I just wanted to be like, yeah, I got this. I'm fine. My neck is fine, whatever. So yeah, the second kick I remember, and there's a video on YouTube of it, I lost all the feeling in my legs at first, and then I kind of stumbled, and I fell down. Then I lost all feeling in my arms. You can see me try and grab Mercedes' legs at the time, and I just could not grab them. Then I remember just being completely paralyzed in the middle of the ring, and then just knowing in my head, I was like this is it. I'm never gonna wrestle again. I already knew. I was like, I'm done. There's no way, because just the feeling in my body, it was like an electric shock, and then everything went numb. I was scared, but I just knew at that point that was going to be it. Then the ref threw up the X, and then they started bringing out the stretcher. I said, 'I'm not going out of this ring on a stretcher, just give me some time.' I'm sure the feeling will come back into my body again. So I'm just like, laying in the ring. This is not televised, but it is on the internet so you can see it. But the crowd were just dead quiet, there's 1000s there, all just watching, and they're dead quiet, just watching me lay there. And then all sudden, I started getting pins and needles. I was like, oh my god, the feelings coming back. So I get pins and needles. And then I sat up, and then the whole crowd started cheering, which is really sweet. They were just like, Yeah, she did it. There's the girls on either side crying. Then I'm like, just take the stretcher away. I can walk out. I'll be perfectly fine." 

"So I end up getting out, I did walk back, and I was so proud of myself for doing that. A lot of pride there. If this is it, I'm not gonna be stretched out. I'm gonna walk my ass out the ring. I get back, the first person who saw me was Bray Wyatt, our boy, Bray. And he instantly just came up and gave me a hug. He's like, 'What happened?' He was so stressed out for me. He's like, 'What happened? You've only been back a little bit.' I was like, 'Bro, that's it. I don't think I'm wrestling anymore.' Then he was devastated for me, him and Mercedes both walked me to the doctor's office. The next day I went to Pittsburgh, they did the whole [appointment with] Dr Maroon. They checked out my neck, and he was just like, 'You should be completely paralyzed. That should have been it.' It was like the equivalent to an awful car crash, like I got in a really bad car accident. The fluid around my spine, there was just none, there was no cushion there, and that's what the fluid is for, is to protect your spinal cord. They didn't have it, it pinched so tight, because my neck just snapped all the way back. It was crazy. He just said, 'You're never gonna wrestle again. There's no way.' I remember calling my mum and dad, and I was crying my eyes out. I was like, done. I'm done. And they were crying, because that's my whole family's life is wrestling. I'm just devastated. Then I remember just coming out of that year and a half, whereas, drinking, on drugs and stuff like that, I was like, I can't go back to that. So WWE were amazing, and they instantly put me in a position of General Manager, which I was so grateful for. And Vince gave me the opportunity to say goodbye on TV, which is not something a woman usually does within the WWE back then; no one really got to say goodbye. It was always like, go to WWE.com and you'll see Eve Torres saying goodbye for the last time, you know what I mean. So it was amazing. I had the opportunity to be like I am retiring guys, devastated, cry my eyes out in the ring, and the crowd were amazing, and then the next day, I was the GM. But I knew at that point, okay, I'm never gonna wrestle again. That's it. I'm done."

On being open to wrestling 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 f*ck am I going to do with my life now? I can't wrestle, what the hell am I going to do? I was a little stressed out, but then, within a couple of weeks, WWE was calling me again to come back. Hunter was the one that called me, and then AEW called me at the same time. So I was just like, well, what the f*ck do I do? Who do I go with? And then WWE was like, if you want to wrestle again at some point, we can check your neck and we'll keep that coin in your back pocket. And I was like, Okay. Then I was just gonna do a GM role again there. So I was like, Okay, that sounds great. But then AEW called me, and they were just like, we'll sign your brother. And I was like, ok."

On her brother Zak Knight:

"The one thing for me is that I've had an incredible career, but my brother's never had the opportunity to do it, and that's been his dream since he could tie his boots. 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. That's one of the big catalysts of why I went to AEW is because, obviously, you get freedom to do whatever you want. But they were going to bring my brother in finally. I was out here by myself for 13 and a half years without my brother. We grew up like twins, because we're so close in age, 14 months. So I was so used to him being around, and then I got the opportunity, and he didn't, and it always f*cked with me. 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. My brother's coming with me. He's going to move over, I'll have my brother back. So yeah, that was the biggest thing why I went to AEW. Then Tony was like, let’s see where your neck is at and stuff, and I've been dying to see where my neck is at. It's been over five years at this point. So I was like, hell yeah, dude, let's do it. But 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. So I went to one here in California, and he does massive celebrities. I mean, like huge singers, you go into his office and they're just A-List everywhere. I don't realize how many people have f*cking neck surgeries around here. So I was blown away. So I was like, Okay, 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. Because, again, he has a roster of just amazing people." 

On whether Mercedes Mone felt responsible for what happened:

"I feel like she does, and she went through a really bad depression too. Because the fans, they can get really hardcore. I have always said, It's not her fault. It's wrestling. We're not going out there and dancing. It's a physical sport. So accidents happen all the time. It's like doing a live stunt and expecting not to trip and fall sometimes. So I never blamed her for it. I was always very outspoken about how it was never her fault, but she got attacked a lot. It doesn't feel good to be the one responsible for an accident like that. So she went through a rough time, depression and stuff like that. A really, really rough time. So she was one of the first people I called because I was like, you don't have to feel bad anymore, I'm back. She was over the moon for me. Then at that point, I was like, Okay, so I'm gonna f*cking wrestle now. This is crazy, this is wild. I wish I trained more, because Tony was like, All right, you're gonna be wrestling in like, two weeks. And I'm like, I've had five years out. How do I get back in the ring again? I didn't have much time to train or anything. So I was traveling for AEW, and then I was working when I was at home, and I was like, When can I physically go in a ring? My brother Zak flew over, and he took me to a ring a couple of times, and we just tried to get some of the ring rust off, but it was really hard. The only thing I regret about my AEW run is that I wish I tried harder when it comes to the wrestling side of things. I think I went too easy on myself, because I was a little bit worried that something would happen like WWE, where I would f*ck up and my neck would get hurt again. And I was too overly cautious."

On leaving AEW:

"It got to a point, I loved my time there, I really did, but there was nothing really much for me to do. When I was there, all I wanted to do was help elevate the division. So I'm like, 'I'll eat a pin here and there, I'll do it, whatever someone needs.' I don't think there was much room for me there. You have big stars there, and I just decided that this is probably the perfect time for me to take a step back, because the only thing left for me to do there would be to wrestle Mercedes. But she already had stuff lined up all the way up until All In that they're about to do. So I was like, What am I gonna do, stay at home? It's nice to collect a paycheck sometimes, sure, but I'd rather be active and doing something I'm really enjoying. That's why I wanted to do the podcast, my book came out, all that kind of fun stuff, so I can put all my energy into that, rather than being like, well, when am I going to be on TV next? I don't want to have to stress about that. So it was just easier, and Tony was great. He was agreeing too. He's like, okay, yeah, let's do it. So it was a very nice split, and great business, which is wonderful. And like I said before, the door is always open for these places, which is really nice. I leave on really good terms. But yeah, I feel like my time came to an end, what else do I do?"

Are you a free agent?

"I’m a free agent now. I could pop up anywhere. No, my contract's done, done. That's one thing that helped is because they gave me the opportunity to walk away from this contract. Not a lot of companies or businesses would do that, but Tony was really, really great about it. So I was like you can keep paying me, or I can just take a hike."

Is there a non-compete?

"No, Tony was great. It was a clean split."

On if a WWE return would be as Paige or Saraya?

"Paige, 100%. I miss Paige so much. I tell people all the time. So again, when I went to AEW, I didn't want to be close to my character in WWE because of the comparisons. I was like, Okay. And then I ended up being like a chicken sh*t heel with AEW, which is all fun and good, but there's a ceiling to that. Whereas Paige, I mean, she's generational. I love her. She's bad ass, tough as nails, just screaming all the time. I loved being her. She was a f*cking badass, and that felt more like an elevated version of myself, rather than doing what I was doing in AEW. But again, that was my decision to be like that. But then I was like, Damn I wish I leaned more into my original character, but it is what it is. You live, you learn."

On whether she misses wrestling:

"I do. Wrestling, if you haven't wrestled in a while, it really hurts your body, and you forget how much it f*cking hurts, because before I took the long break with my neck, I never had time off. So I was wrestling nearly every other day. Since I was 13 years old, I was constantly in a ring training, having wrestling matches, traveling, all that kind of stuff. So my body became one giant callous. I was just one giant scab, pretty much. So once my body healed and I took a bump, I was like, Oh, this f*cking sucks. This hurts like a bitch, especially when you have no adrenaline. So yeah, having a match after you've had time off, you feel like you've been hit by a car, you're just like, Oh my god. So I do miss wrestling. I miss the adrenaline rush. I miss entertaining. I miss getting in the ring and feeling like Paige. But yeah, it's just the feeling that you get afterwards, once the adrenaline is worn off."

On possibly appearing at WWE Evolution:

"It's like a bittersweet thing, because the first one, I couldn't be on it because of my neck. So if I had the opportunity to be on this all-female pay-per-view, of course, yeah, I would think about it."

On her favourite wrestling moment:

"So obviously, NXT was amazing. I got the opportunity to be the first ever NXT Women's Champion, and I so thankful for it. I was 20 years old. I was a kid, it was incredible, and I'm so f*cking grateful for it. But my ultimate moment was my debut and winning the Divas Championship, because that's all I ever wanted to be. I wanted to be a WWE Diva, and to do it at 21 too. And the day before, Dwayne is in his office backstage, and he's like, 'I'm gonna make a movie on your life.' And I'm like, what? Then he's like, 'And you're gonna debut tomorrow, and you're gonna win the Divas Championship.' And I was like, what? I'm just f*cking sobbing, dude. A lot of crying, obviously, but I'm sobbing because I can't believe this is happening at such a young age. I never thought I'd get a movie of my life. I never thought I was actually gonna debut on the main roster. So to have Dwayne The Rock Johnson tell you these things too, he’s a f*cking real-life superhero, an icon in wrestling and in movies. And you're just like, This is f*cking insane. Then he's like, 'But you can't tell anyone the day before.' So I'm walking around like, trying to keep my sh*t together, waiting for someone to tell me that I'm actually gonna be debuting. It was so emotional. And then I finally got Fit Finlay telling me 10 minutes before doors were opening, 'Come to the side of the ring. AJ and Tamina need to speak to you, you're gonna win the Divas Championship.' And I was like, Okay, Let's f*cking do it. And he's like, but no one knows. And I'm like, Why do I have to keep f*cking secrets, dude? That's insane. So I'm crying again, and then I go to the side of the ring, and AJ was just amazing. Obviously, everyone knows that I was really close to AJ. She's like my fairy godmother, is what I called her for so long. And, yeah, she just kind of took me under a wing and protected me. She was like, All right, this is how it's gonna go. And she was like, 'What kind of finish do you want to do?' And I was like, 'Well, I do have a submission.' She was like, 'No, you need to 3 count me, solidify that sh*t.' So I was like, okay, so then we did the Paige Turner in the ring, but I didn't explain how to do it properly, because I was just too nervous. So I ended up looking like a Leg Sweep. And I remember coming back and Randy Orton's just like, 'Did you just beat her with a Leg Sweep?' I was like, 'Absolutely, yeah I did, but it's supposed to look different.' But I'm like, Who gives a f*ck? So yeah, that was probably the most magical moment for me, is finally getting what I've wanted. And I've been traveling since I was 13 years old by myself to all these different countries, because all I wanted to do was get experience for WWE to take notice of me and to finally come over to America. So yeah, I was traveling solo since I was 13 years old, and now eight years later into my career, which is crazy, because I was only 21. Eight years later into my career, I finally got that moment that I've been dreaming about."

On the hardest part of her book to write:

"The childhood abuse, probably. Because I didn't really talk about it. I got brought up in a family where you kind of just dusted yourself off and kept going, right? You don't just sit there and bitch and complain or talk about your problems. So it's been really hard for me to fully open up when it comes to trauma, especially. I'm like, it happened, but I need to focus on other things now. So, yeah, it took me years and years to open up to my family about it, and it only happened when I was about 30, and my brother called me. He was crying his eyes out because it affected him really, really bad for a long time. He called me crying. He was like 'Saraya, we need to talk about this.' I was like, Okay, let's do it. So we spoke about it, and he was like, I'm gonna talk to mom and dad about it. And I was like, Okay, do it. Then we had, like, these heart-to-hearts, and they were really bad. Because there was a couple of times, this part is really hard for me to talk about. It was really hard, because I was trying to do the audio for it, and that was probably the hardest chapter to go through. It took me all day to get through that f*cker, dude. I was like, Oh my gosh, it's so hard. But yeah, that was probably the hardest chapter." 

On what’s next for her:

"I don't know. That's the exciting part is that is everything so unexpected that comes along. So I'm excited. I didn't think I was gonna be taking another break from wrestling and to focus on a podcast."

On how much longer she wants to wrestle:

“I think I can squeeze 10 more years out of me. Yeah, 10 more years on and off.”  

On possible WWE dream matches:

“I always get Rhea to either be a tag team partner, the original goth sister to now, the ultimate goth sister. So I'd love to be in a team with her or wrestle her, because that's what people want. I would love to wrestle Mercedes down the line, because it's a built-in storyline. All the girls now, they're all superstars, dude. I would get in the ring with anybody at any point in time. They're all amazing. Probably Nattie again. I love Nattie. I've wrestled her a billion times, but, oh my God.”

On being in promo class with Roman Reigns:

"Oh, my God. Rest in peace, Dusty. I f*cking loved him so much. But the promo classes were difficult, and you had to learn to adjust on the fly, which I am grateful for. Because I had that experience once I got on the main roster. But we'd have promo classes where we'd have to cut these promos. But then he'd be like, 'Yeah, it wasn't good enough. So here's something you talk about, go.' And so he goes, 'Leeake [Roman Reigns] baby, get up, go sit next to Paige.' So he gets up and sits next to me. And then he was like, 'Okay, Paige, baby, he's your ex-boyfriend. He dumped you and stole your toaster.' So I'm like, Oh, f*ck, what do I say to this guy? I just met him as well. I've already been with WWE within two weeks or something, I was already cut these promos. 'Hello, stranger, I have to pretend you're my ex-boyfriend who stole my toaster.' So I just start talking to him, and I'm so embarrassed, because he's a big, strong guy, he's f*cking Roman Reigns, dude. He's like, f*cking Hercules. And like, I'm so sorry. He made me do a bunch of stuff like that. He was like, 'Okay, Paige, baby, you open a letter, and then he was like, you have to go through all your emotions while reading through this letter.' Again, I'm getting dumped constantly, apparently, because he's just like your boyfriend is dumping you. I'm like, f*ck all right. So he was like, 'You have to go through happy, sad, emotional, angry and stuff.' So I'm like, okay, but I'm not allowed to say a word either. So you have to do it all through facial expressions. So I'm just like, looking through it, and I think I'm doing a good job. I was so embarrassed. 

I was in it for a year at that point. So I was really comfortable with Dusty. And he was just like, 'Okay, I want you to limit what you say. I want you to be more mysterious.' So I was like, Okay. So he wanted me to cut these certain length promos, but then I couldn't say anything. So I was just like, well, what the f*ck. How do we do this? So I remember I was so tired one day, so f*cking cranky, and I was f*cking done with this, so I come in, I cut a sh*t promo, and then in front of everybody, he was like, 'I asked for chicken dinner. You give me chicken sh*t?' And I was like, 'F*ck you Dusty!' I f*cking walk out, f*cking stomp up to the girl's locker room, slam the door, and like, I just heard a knock on the door. He was like, 'Is my porcelain princess in here?' [I said] 'Go away Dusty. I don't want to talk to you.' He was like, 'Get out here.' So I was like, Okay. And I was like, 'I'm really sorry.' Because he's my boss. 'I shouldn't have talked to you like that, Dusty. I'm really sorry.' He was like, 'It's okay, baby, come sit down.' So we sit on the steps. And he just said to me, 'I want you to be a success. You have to give 110% every single time, even if it's in front of your peers, even if it's in front of five people in the crowd, you have to give 110%.' He was like, I'm always gonna be honest with you, whether you like it or not. And I understood. I was like, 'I'm sorry, you were completely right.' I was out of line, I came in, half arsed my promo and did a bad job. He said that I was like his broken toy compared to the rest of the Divas, because I was like the little misfit of everybody, again, the women with beautiful blonde hair, tanned. I was this pale, little f*cking goth chick. He was like, 'You're my broken toy, baby. I just want to fix you and put you back together again.' I was just like, Yeah, you're right. I miss Dusty so much, rest in peace. Been like 10 years. That was it. He goes to me, 'Nobody calls me a motherf*cker.' And I was like, 'You're so right. I'm so sorry, Dusty, I should not called your motherf*cker in front of everybody.' But I was very mad at him. I love him." 

What is Saraya grateful for?

"My health, my happiness and my dogs."

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