Ahead of Full Gear, Britt Baker
spoke to Sports Illustrated about being Saraya's first opponent in nearly five years.
Saraya (formerly known as Paige in WWE) will make her return to the ring as she faces Baker at Saturday's Full Gear pay-per-view. It will be the first time Saraya has wrestled since 2017, when she suffered a neck injury that forced her to retire.
Baker told Sports Illustrated that the match is a point of progress for the AEW women's division.
“It’s so progressive for our division,” Baker said. “It’s a story-driven match. It’s a very compelling story, and the match is going to be even more exciting."
Baker noted that, while Saraya has been away from in-ring competition for five years, the one thing they have in common is that professional wrestling is their life.
“She’s been out of the game for five years,” Baker said. “That’s a long time. For all our differences, we have one thing in common—wrestling is our life. We’re going to wrestle like our lives depend on it.”
With Saraya being medically cleared to return to the ring, Baker told Sports Illustrated she isn't worried about Saraya having limitations.
"She’s cleared. By this point, her neck is probably better than mine," Baker said. "At first, I was really concerned. Working around someone’s neck is very daunting. But she’s cleared, and we’re going to wrestle."
Full Gear is taking place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. The PPV main card will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The Buy-In pre-show starts at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Baker discussed her upcoming match against Saraya ahead of Full Gear.
www.f4wonline.com
