Former AEW star Saraya (fka Paige) has opened up about how her WWE career ended prematurely following her injury, and how the wrestler against whom she had her last match felt responsible for the incident.
Mercedes Mone Went Into Depression After Injuring Saraya and Inadvertently Ending Her WWE Career
Saraya wrestled Mone (then Sasha Banks) at a WWE house show in December 2017. The AEW TBS Champion believed it was her kick that resulted in the former Paige’s neck injury, almost ending her career. However, Saraya defended Mone and said that it happens because of the nature of the sport they were involved in. Moreover, five years later, the British star was cleared to compete, ultimately signing with AEW. She left Tony Khan’s promotion in March 2025.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former AEW star noted that Mone felt responsible for nearly ending her career and felt depressed about the incident, before clarifying that she does not blame her colleague. She empathized with what The CEO had to endure because wrestling fans could be very harsh:
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.”
Saraya further spoke about her return to the ring, revealing that one of the first people she called up and informed about the good news was Mone. Her colleague was “over the moon” upon hearing the positive update.
Be that as it may, Saraya added that it got her tremendously nervous as she had not been in the ring for five years. She was also worried about getting severely injured again. In the end, though, it worked out all right for the former AEW star. What Saraya does next bears watching, although it appears WWE fans might have a hunch.