5 Saraya Matches That Need To Happen In AEW Now That She's Cleared

After nearly 5 years on the shelf, AEW's Saraya recently made a triumphant return to professional wrestling with a victory over Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. at Full Gear. When the star formerly known in WWE as Paige debuted in AEW back in September 2022 at "Dynamite: Grand Slam," it wasn't entirely clear if she was going to be able to wrestle. However, Saraya went through the necessary protocols and met with doctors inside and outside of AEW, finally confirming that she was healthy enough to return to in-ring action.

Saraya is one of the most important figures in modern professional wrestling, helping set the stage for the "Women's Revolution" in WWE, and carving a path for current Superstars like Becky Lynch and Bayley. Now that she's back in action after so much time away and finds herself in an entirely new wrestling landscape in AEW, there are quite a few matchups on the table for Saraya in the months and, hopefully, years to come.

With her victory over one of AEW's top stars, Britt Baker, it would make sense for Saraya to move on to Baker's ally and the AEW Women's World Champion Jamie Hayter next. Both women hail from the United Kingdom, and, in an interview, Saraya even listed Hayter first among the women she'd like to face within the company. On top of that, with her past pedigree, there's no doubt Saraya will have her sights set on gold as soon as possible.

After only one match to get back into the swing of things, it remains to be seen exactly how Saraya's wrestling will need to change in order to adapt to AEW's style and to ensure she protects her neck from severe damage. However, it's probably safe to assume strong chemistry in the squared circle between Hayter and Saraya, given their backgrounds and abilities. The only questions are how soon the match will take place, and which star would come out on top with the AEW Women's World Championship.

Right up there as a prime opponent for Saraya is the woman Jamie Hayter defeated for the AEW Women's World Championship: Toni Storm. There's no denying that Storm is one of the most talented performers in AEW, but some might argue she has yet to show her full potential in the company. A match with Saraya could bring out the best in her. Thus far, the two women have found themselves on the same side in AEW. However, that could easily change, especially if Storm takes a more aggressive turn in personality following her championship loss.

In an interview with Renee Paquette following her loss to Hayter, Storm hinted that she wasn't through with her championship successor, stating that Hayter was unable to beat her without help. This likely means a rematch is still to come between the two women, which would likely put off the potential matchup of Saraya vs. Storm. However, it's safe to say this match has to be on their minds, as they are each near the top of the company's women's division.

Though out of action with a back injury — with no exact timetable for her return – an eventual match between Saraya and former AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa has to be in the cards somewhere down the line. Rosa's feud with Baker showed that she is one of the most intense performers in the women's division, and it seems likely that a pairing between her and Saraya would be magic in the ring.

Rosa has risen to prominence in wrestling over the last few years in the same time period that Saraya was unable to perform. That dichotomy could lead to some interesting promos between the two as well as offering a built-in storyline for a couple of very big matches. After having to relinquish the AEW Women's World Championship due to her injury, Rosa is likely to go after the title upon her return. Whether she has to go through Saraya to get there or faces her later on down the line, it's a match that simply has to take place eventually.

There are a number of similarities between Saraya and Ruby Soho that could lead one to believe they'd be a good fit in the squared circle. Both women spent time wrestling in WWE, and they share a certain kind of punk rock aesthetic. While this might make them more likely to get along in real life, in wrestling it's the perfect formula for a rivalry.

Soho has been out of action since breaking her nose at All Out, but she should be poised to return after having undergone surgery to repair the injury. With Hayter and Storm intent on clashing once again over the title, and Rosa on the shelf, that could make Soho an intriguing next opponent for Saraya if she's fit to return to action in time.

Soho is a veteran of nearly 12 years between the ropes and is highly regarded as a talented hand in the ring. There may be no one better to help Saraya find her footing once again as she looks to get back into the swing of wrestling full-time.

On the other end of the spectrum is Jade Cargill. Cargill made her in-ring debut less than two years ago, but in that time she's shown an immense amount of potential, much of which still needs to be fully realized. Saraya could be the right one to put Cargill in the ring with to unlock some of it. As someone who has been wrestling since she was a teenager, there's undoubtedly a lot that Saraya can teach Cargill, helping mold her into an even better talent.

This is a matchup that must be carefully built. Cargill has been on a massive winning streak, and Saraya is a wrestler who should be more than just another notch in Cargill's championship belt. The company certainly could decide to pull the trigger on Saraya as the one to finally topple Cargill. However, we think the better move is to either wait until someone who would get more benefit from such a monumental win gets that rub and then have the two face off or position Saraya as a significant threat to Cargill's TBS Championship reign only to suffer her first major loss in the company.