Saraya Nearly Led Surprising WWE Faction

By Andrew Ravens‎

Contributing Sports Writer

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In 2017, the WWE star then known as Paige was forced to retire from the ring due to a serious neck injury suffered during a match. She later resumed her career in the company as the manager of Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, but it seems things could have worked out very differently.

Speaking with former WWE star Sonya Deville on the "Daria & Toni Unwrapped" podcast, Saraya revealed that on the day of her return to the company, officials did not know what group she would end up managing. The former champion disclosed that she almost ended up with Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan—the trio that would eventually become the Riott Squad.

"I remember them coming up to me and being like, 'You might potentially have the Riott Squad, all three of them, or you’re going to have Mandy and Sonya.' So I was like, 'Oh my God, which ones am I gonna have?' Both were up in the air. I didn’t know who I was gonna be with. They had no idea the day of," Saraya said.

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Ultimately, Saraya was paired with Rose and Deville to form the group Absolution on "Raw," while the Riott Squad debuted on "SmackDown" shortly after. The decision shaped the trajectory of multiple careers, as Saraya's role with Absolution allowed her to remain a central figure on television despite her inability to compete in the ring at the time.

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Since leaving AEW, rumors about a potential return to WWE for Saraya have run rampant, but so far, no comeback has taken place. The star's contract with AEW expired in September 2025, making her a free agent capable of signing with any promotion.

While she has expressed a renewed desire to train for an in-ring return in 2026, she has also emphasized her enjoyment of projects outside the wrestling bubble, including her podcast and memoir.

As Deville and Saraya reflected on their shared history, the revelation highlights the often chaotic nature of WWE creative decisions, where major career arcs can hinge on choices made just hours before a live broadcast.

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