Daria Rae TNA Debut Shocks WWE Locker Room – Daria Rae’s surprise debut with TNA Wrestling on January 15 generated an immediate reaction from fans, but the strongest response reportedly came from inside the WWE locker room. In a January 19, 2026 interview with Denise Salcedo, the former Sonya Deville opened up about how unexpected her appearance was, even to people closest to her in the industry.
Rae revealed that shortly after her TNA debut aired, her phone quickly filled with messages from former WWE colleagues who had no idea the move was coming. She specifically mentioned Natalya, Liv Morgan, Lana, and Bianca Belair as some of the first to reach out. According to Rae, the reaction was a mix of support and shock.
Nattie, Liv, Lana, Bianca—so many of the girls reached out and were incredibly supportive. They were like, ‘What the hell? How did you not tell me this?’ They were kind of freaked out that I kept it from them.
Rae explained that the secrecy surrounding her debut was intentional. She wanted the moment to feel authentic, not only for fans watching at home but also for the wrestlers she considers friends. She added that she has become more private over time and prefers not to share plans until they are finalized.
I was trying to make it a moment. I wanted to get a real pop out of the girls, so I kept it low-key and just wanted to see their initial, organic reactions. I don’t know if it’s superstition exactly, but I feel like when you share everything before it happens, it kind of taints the process. So it was just something I wanted to keep to myself for a bit.
Despite her authoritative presence on screen as The Suit, an in-ring return does not appear to be part of the plan. Sean Ross Sapp addressed Rae’s role during a Fightful Select Q&A podcast, stating that she is not expected to wrestle and is focused on a non-wrestling position.
From what I heard, she’s supposed to be a non-wrestling authority figure. She said recently that she’s pretty well retired from in-ring competition.
Sapp also noted that Rae’s return was made possible through her relationship with Anthem Sports, TNA’s parent company, which also owns Invicta FC, where Rae previously worked. While wrestling again is not being ruled out entirely, Rae’s current focus remains firmly on leadership and character work.
She has a good relationship with TNA’s parent company, Anthem, and got brought in to do some stuff with their Invicta FC MMA promotion. She’s going to be a good on-screen character that eventually, if she decides to, she could work as well. But I have not heard anything indicating that she would.
Daria Rae TNA Debut Shocks WWE Locker Room
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