10 Wrestlers AEW Saved From Retirement

Anyone who claims wrestling is "fake" and that "they don't get hurt" has clearly never seen someone get thrown off a steel cage or take a nasty bump. Wrestlers undoubtedly get hurt, and this (as seen in the last entry) often leads to early retirement. Saraya, formerly known as Paige, was one such victim. But, like Shibata, AEW gave her career a lifeline.

The incomparable Saraya, a member of the infamous Knight family, kicked up a storm in the early to mid 2010s, breaking the mould of what a WWE women's wrestler could be. Unfortunately, an untimely neck injury in 2016, which was later worsened in a 2017 house show, led to the company refusing to clear her for in-ring work.

It felt like the absolute end of her career, as she moved to non-wrestling roles from there on out. However, while WWE doctors wouldn't let her get back in the ring, the AEW staff had a different opinion.

She was cleared to wrestle by doctors and joined Tony Khan's promotion in 2022, shocking everyone. Hell, she even managed to capture another World Title at the London All In event, something she never would have done had she not taken the risk.