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IMPACT Wrestling legend SoCal Val has expressed her feelings on the idea of Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, returning to the in-ring competition now that she is part of AEW.
The former WWE Divas Champion made her AEW debut at the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite, and has since made one other appearance in a non-wrestling capacity.
Saraya was forced to retire in 2018 due to a series of neck injuries, but having seen the likes of Bryan Danielson and Christian Cage find a new lease on life in AEW despite being forced to retire themselves, it seems inevitable that the former Paige will get back in the ring.
However, SoCal Val has expressed some concerns. Speaking on GAWTV with former WWE Women's Champions Victoria and Mickie James, Val stated that she doesn't want to see Saraya in the ring unless she's absolutely certain she can go.
"So, for her own health’s sake, I hope she only does it if it’s definitely something that she should be doing. And she’s very smart. They would never rush her into doing it and she would never rush into doing it. But I wouldn’t want to see it unless it’s 1000% safe for her," said SoCal Val.
Val also mentioned Edge, who retired in 2011 due to neck problems but returned to the ring in 2020 to much fanfare, leading the former IMPACT Wrestling star to hope that The Anti-Diva isn't going to have more problems down the line.
"Fans are just so in love with these characters like Edge for example. I just sit there thinking you can be in love with a character and in love with a wrestler, but you should want them to wrestle only if they’re physically able to do so and it’s not going to cause any problems down the line," Val added. [H/T PWMania]
Saraya will appear this week on AEW Dynamite.
It's unclear at the time of writing whether or not Saraya is medically cleared to compete. However, she is more than capable of showing up on AEW TV, which she will once again do this week on Dynamite.
Saraya will be in the corner of Interim AEW Women's Champion Toni Storm, as well as Athena and Willow Nightingale as they take on Jamie Hayter, Serena Deeb, and Penelope Ford in a trios match.
While the former Divas Champion will be in one corner, Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. will be in the other corner as she still sits on the sidelines with a broken nose.
Will the former Paige and Britt Baker get physical this week on Dynamite? Let us know in the comments section down below!
