Saraya gives update on AEW return: ‘There isn’t really a spot for me right now’

Saraya will eventually be back in the ring, but she doesn’t feel like AEW needs her right now.

The former AEW Women’s World Champion has been away from the promotion since October 2024. She’s currently on a media tour to promote her new memoir “Hell in Boots: Clawing My Way Through Nine Lives,” with the book set to be released this Tuesday. While appearing on the Lightweights Podcast, Saraya said she’s been doing great and staying busy but has been devoting most of her time to non-wrestling projects.

“Oh my gosh, yeah, so this year’s been really frigging busy, which is great. Like, I’ve been doing a lot of self-tapes, which is like auditions that you do [for acting roles],” she said. “I do self-tapes. I do, obviously, media for the book and all that kind of fun stuff. And then, yeah, just a lot of things outside of wrestling. I haven’t been doing a lot of wrestling things.”

Saraya said she loves wrestling and will be back at some point. However, she doesn’t feel like there’s a spot for her at this very moment.

“Yeah,” Saraya responded when asked if she wants to get back in the ring eventually. “I mean, I feel like at this age and time, there isn’t really a spot for me right now. I feel like everybody’s got their own thing. Eventually — I love wrestling, I will be back at work at some point. But, right now, it’s just like — it’s good. They don’t need me. They don’t need me [smiles].”

Though she hasn’t given a timeframe for when she plans to retire, the 32-year-old Saraya recently told Sports Illustrated that the end of her in-ring career is coming soon. She said she wants to uplift other competitors during the time she has left in the ring.

Saraya’s AEW contract is scheduled to expire this September. She indicated to TMZ Sports earlier this year that she could be open to returning to WWE one day, but Saraya said she’s loved her time in AEW.