Anna Jay Talks Nixed AEW Segment With The Dark Order

On the latest episode of the AEW Unrestricted podcast, The Dark Order's Anna Jay was on and chatted about her debut in AEW earlier this year as well as her inclusion into The Dark Order. Jay said she signed with AEW after her first AEW match against Hikaru Shida.

"So I got offered the contract after the live Dynamite with my match with Shida. First off, I literally did not feel like I was in the moment," Jay admitted. "It was just kind of like, 'This is not happening right now.' I couldn't believe it. So obviously, I went home, reviewed everything and ended up signing, and oh my gosh, I called my mom. I didn't call my mom and dad that night because they were already asleep.

"It was after the show was over and everything. I called them the next morning, and I remember they were both on speakerphone with me. And that was a really cool moment to be able to tell them that. I think that they were shocked, obviously, excited for me. They've been here for me since the beginning since I wanted to try to be a professional wrestler. So it was an awesome moment."

A few months later, Jay was recruited into The Dark Order by Brodie Lee. Jay said the initial plans for her was to join The Dark Order, but they were scrapped, until a June episode of Dynamite. Jay revealed that there was a vignette filmed of her joining the faction but that was also scrapped, and Jay admitted that it caused confusion with fans.

"I remember the night that I was offered a contract," Jay stated. "Actually, I don't exactly remember who it was, but they said, 'Oh, there's an idea for you to be in The Dark Order, but we're not going to do that.' And so it's like, Oh, okay, I'll do literally whatever you guys want me to. I'm literally just happy to be here,' and then it was brought up to my attention again. I think it was a couple of months after I was signed, and they actually filmed the whole vignette of me joining The Dark Order.

"And then they ended up doing away with it, and so I just came out with Brodie and Colt on Dynamite if you guys remember. So it kind of happened pretty quick, but then I was gone for a couple of weeks and came back, and people, I think, were a little confused because I just walked out with him and that was it. But yeah, it just kind of fell into my lap."

Tony Schiavone and Aubrey Edwards noted that Jay was too beautiful to be wearing a mask. Jay revealed that others backstage agreed including AEW President Tony Khan. She also revealed that her mask was literally taken off her face and thrown in the trash.

"I feel like everyone would come up to me like, 'Oh, were you actually gonna be wearing that?' And I'm like, 'Yeah, they told me to,' but then Tony Khan ended up saying 'scrap it, throw it away,'" Jay revealed. "I remember Charlie Ramone literally taking it off my face and threw it in the trash, and I was like 'What? I actually want that for memories,' but it's gone. It's out here."

One of Jay's prominent stories in AEW has been her tag team with Tay Conti during the Deadly Draw Tournament. Jay discussed meeting Conti for the first time and how they were put together as a tag team.

"It's funny because she came there one day, I think they just asked her to come kind of feel out the environment, and they were going to ask her to do the tournament," Jay recalled. "And I ended up hitting it off with her that day. I went up and introduced myself. I felt bad because she was newer there and didn't know anyone, and I know how that feels, so I went up to her and talked to her.

"And we really hit it off and ended up getting along really well. Two weeks after, they told us, 'You guys are going to be partners,' and we're like, 'What?' It really worked out in our favor just because we already had that chemistry. So it was really meant to be."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit AEW Unrestricted with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.