Saraya Reveals She Wanted To Be In 2026 Royal Rumble, But WWE Didn't Approach Her

The women’s 2026 Royal Rumble match featured several surprises, including returns from the likes of Tiffany Stratton and Brie Bella, plus cameos from multiple NXT names such as Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Jacy Jayne and Kelani Jordan. One name who several fans lobbied for who didn’t show up was Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE.

Saraya spoke on the Wrestling With Freddie podcast with Freddie Prinze Jr. on the Royal Rumble, revealing that she’d have loved to be at the show, but WWE didn’t reach out to her. 

“A lot of people were mad that I wasn’t in the (Royal) Rumble, and a lot of people thought I was gonna be number 30 too… I’ve had that much support before but, I thought I had lost all that support, because of all my controversy. But it was just absolutely bonkers. There was thousands of videos across all platforms on just a couple of training videos. It was at 13 million a couple of days ago and now it’s like 18 million. It is just absolutely insane. I cried one day because of it, because I’m just like, ‘I can’t believe people still love me. This is crazy.’ 

“I wish I could be in the Rumble and there was a viral video circulating of the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble, and it was the same year I got told I couldn’t wrestle again and no one knew it at the time, and then fast-forward, I do my retirement speech day after WrestleMania but, no one knew at the time so I wasn’t part of it and I was backstage in Gorilla and I’m really emotional. They have images of me backstage just crying, just being like, ‘This is what I’ve always dreamed of. This is what I wanna be a part of. I hope one day I can be a part of it again…’ It was viral as well, and everyone’s just like hoping that I was gonna be in this Rumble, that I finally get to be a part of that, that I’ve always dreamed of being a part of. So yeah, it was incredible. I wish I was part of it but it’s more to it. WWE has to make that decision. Not me… Everyone obviously wants me to go back.”

Following her AEW exit last year, it was noted that WWE were not actively looking to sign Saraya.

H/T Fightful