On March 30, 2025, a striking moment captured at a promotional event for Saraya’s memoir, Hell in Boots: Clawing My Way Through Nine Lives, set the wrestling world abuzz.
Independent wrestler Vipress shared a photo on X, showing her kissing Saraya, the former AEW Women’s World Champion, in a bold and intimate pose. The image accompanied Vipress’ caption: “Ya snooze ya lose. Hi Saraya.”
Ya snooze ya lose. Hi @Saraya pic.twitter.com/R1Fm9vHRg0
— 𝑽𝑰𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑺 (@_vipress) March 30, 2025
Saraya, who announced her departure from AEW just days earlier on her new podcast, Rulebreakers with Saraya, was celebrating the release of her memoir, which hit shelves on March 25th. The book details her journey through wrestling and personal struggles, including a notable story about Drew McIntyre protecting her from an inappropriate individual at age 14.
Her exit from All Elite Wrestling, confirmed as mutual by her management, marked the end of a nearly three-year run where she won the AEW Women’s World Championship at All In 2023. Saraya’s last singles AEW match was a loss to Jamie Hayter at Grand Slam on September 25, 2024, and she has been absent from television since October 2024.
Despite the amicable nature of the split, Fightful Select reports that the news came as a shock to most within AEW. Sources indicate that Saraya had only informed a small circle of people about her impending departure as of the previous week, leaving much of the roster and backstage personnel blindsided by the announcement.
During a recent interview on The Takedown on SI, Saraya (fka Paige) teased returning to WWE at WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans in 2026.
Here’s what the former WWE Divas Champion said:
“Maybe down the line, I get to have that WrestleMania or Royal Rumble. Or you know, next year they have WrestleMania in New Orleans. And that’s where I debuted, that’s where I retired… wouldn’t that be cool if I get to come back (there) too?”
On the other hand, Vipress, known for her work on the independent circuit and appearances in AEW, has a history of crossing paths with Saraya, both in and out of the ring.
