AEW's Saraya Discusses Being A Cast Member Of Total Divas
It's been just over a decade since the WWE reality series "Total Divas" premiered on the cable network E!, and the show's lasting impact on the wrestling business is still apparent all these years later. While it may be easy for some to dismiss yet another reality show on the air, "Total Divas" helped WWE reach a new audience that otherwise wasn't watching professional wrestling who became captivated by the lives of members on the women's roster. In a recent interview with TV Insider, Saraya (now with AEW) looked back at her time on the show and what it did for women's wrestling.
"We brought a whole new group of eyes to the wrestling business that would come in to support the females," Saraya remarked. "At the end of the day, it made history for women and had massive talent on there. We even had Ronda Rousey on there. We had a wonderful group of women who wanted the best for women's wrestling."
"Total Divas" ran for nine seasons from 2013 to 2019, even spawning a spin-off "Total Bellas" that was centered entirely around the Bella twins. The show offered a behind-the-scenes peek at the lives of a rotating cast of women in WWE, while also showing the trials and tribulations of being a WWE Superstar. But for Saraya, it cannot be overstated enough just how many new eyes the show brought to the WWE product, many of which have continued to follow her to this day.
"What better way to bring in fresh eyes than to go into a whole different market of people?" she pondered. "I walk down the street now and people know me because of 'Total Divas.' It's awesome to have so many groups of fans."