Aubrey Edwards Says AEW Hid Top Star In A Closet Prior To Debut

AEW referee Aubrey Edwards has recalled the time AEW had one of its newly signed stars hide in a closet. AEW hasn't been afraid to scoop up some well-known names in the wrestling industry. Back in September, the company signed Saraya, formerly known as Paige in WWE, to a contract.

Saraya debuted for the promotion during "AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam." During a recent episode of the "AEW Unrestricted" podcast, Edwards revealed that Saraya had been hidden in a closet before making her debut.

"We had Saraya show up, which was incredible," Edwards said. "I think they hid her in a closet that was labeled like, 'AEW Tech Supplies.' So, everyone knew not to go in there."

AEW commentator Tony Schiavone backed up Edwards' claim, saying, "That's exactly what they did, yeah." Edwards said she quickly realized something was going on, "Yeah, I love that. I was like, 'When did we have a tech supply closet? Oh, okay, smart, smart.'"

This isn't the first time AEW has taken measures to hide a major star's arrival behind the scenes. Ahead of CM Punk's AEW debut last year, Tony Khan reportedly didn't mention Punk's name during the pre-show meeting. Instead, Punk was labeled as a "special guest." 

Claudio Castagnoli has said that he was also hidden ahead of his first AEW appearance during the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door crossover event. Castagnoli said AEW officials wouldn't allow him to enter the locker room before his big debut. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "AEW Unrestricted" podcast, with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.