It was reported last year that Saraya (formerly known as Paige in WWE) had signed a new deal with AEW that looked set to keep her in the company until at least this September.
Fans were shocked Triple H didn't pull out all the stops to bring her back into the fold given their history in NXT. Still, seeing how much Tony Khan is supposedly willing to pay talent, there's a good chance WWE was unwilling to match what the son of billionaire Shahid Khan was offering.
Either way, Saraya's original deal reportedly had a clause in it allowing AEW to keep her signed for another year if they saw fit. The decision was supposedly made not to invoke that and she's said to have signed a separate one-year contract.
Saraya's last big match was at AEW Collision Grand Slam where she was defeated in a "Saraya's Rules Match" by Jamie Hayter. On October 8, she competed on an episode of AEW Dynamite in a 4-way AEW Women's World Title Eliminator Match against Hayter, Willow Nightingale, and Nyla Rose.
We haven't seen her since - it's thought she's stepped away from pro wrestling due to personal issues - but that likely means her contract will be extended. As a result, a WWE return looks increasingly unlikely.
Talking to Sports Illustrated, Saraya reflected on her AEW run and suggested that her in-ring career is now nearing its end. She previously had to retire from wrestling due to neck issues but, following a miraculous return, it seems Saraya is fine with her time as a competitor winding down.
"I’m letting people beat me, left, right and center. I was on a losing streak, but I just wanted people to get their rub," Saraya told the site. "I want to uplift everybody. I’m not gonna be in wrestling forever. I’m coming to the end of it and it’s very soon. And I don’t wanna go out being like, I need to be on top."
Reflecting on sharing the ring with Harley Cameron, she said, "Working with Harley was amazing. I had so much fun with her, [but] I said to her, 'The best thing I can do for you right now is take a break and be away from you.'"
"People love her. I’m like, 'I need to take a break, and then maybe, eventually, 'I can come back and we can go into a story where I’m just trying to hold you back again, and then you get your big pin on me,'" Saraya continued. "That’s the idea that I wanted. I don’t think we’re doing that now, but I said the best thing I can do is take a step back."
It's unclear what the plan is for Saraya now but her comments point to the former AEW Women's World Champion at least having had talks with Khan about how she'll be booked when she returns.