Saraya’s AEW debut at “Grand Slam” on Wednesday and the rapturous response she received from the audience at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, N.Y., prompted WWE Hall of Famer Booker T to recall fond memories of working with her in WWE when she was known as Paige.
On his “Hall of Fame” podcast, Booker spoke about the jubilation from the AEW audience and Saraya’s joy at being welcomed back after not having wrestled since 2017 due to a neck injury.
“That smile was just radiating through the arena,” Booker said about Saraya. “So yeah, man. I’m glad to see her back. Me personally, Paige has always been one of my favorites. She’s always been that chick, so I’m just glad to see her back.”
Booker recalled that having Saraya as part of the WWE roster was always fun.
“I’m serious, it was like a night off working with Paige,” he continued. “I remember getting her in trouble one night because I told her to introduce me at the ‘OG brother from the hood.’ [She got] so much e-mail [and] social media, people were blowing her up. I actually had to go out and defend her and say, ‘Come on, guys, I told her to say that’. … She wouldn’t have done anything like that. I always had a good time working with Paige.”
Booker commended Saraya’s eagerness to return to wrestling following the painful circumstances that led to her stepping away.
“I’m just glad to see her still chasing that dream,” he said. “Because, man, that’s what this thing is all about.”