A Character in Limbo: Sarray

NXT has a good track record of successful Joshi wrestlers throughout its history. Asuka, Kairi Sane and IYO Sky are all former Women’s Champions, wrestled great matches on multiple Takeover events and were beloved by fans. In 2020, another Joshi arrived to the developmental brand. Sareee was arguably Diana’s biggest star, being a multi-time world champion, and had also made a name for herself as a freelancer. She wasn’t as highly praised as NXT’s other Japanese talent but was still seen as a solid signing for WWE. People seemed certain that she was going to follow the usual path of becoming NXT Women’s Champion and dominating the division before making the move to the main roster. Three years later, though, she is no longer a WWE superstar after what was a very disappointing run that went horribly wrong. Under the name Sarray, she struggled to find her feet and establish a character amidst an era of change in NXT. Let’s reflect on her short WWE career and how she never really escaped a state of limbo.

Sarray’s tenure immediately had a rough start when she was unable to move to the US due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Her debut was postponed for a year because of circumstances she couldn’t control. At the time, NXT’s women’s division was stacked full of talent but was undergoing a minor shake-up. Shayna Baszler and Bianca Belair were moving up to the main roster, opening spots at the top of the card. Sarray would’ve been set to slot right in and wrestle some of the best women’s wrestlers in the world. Dakota Kai, Io Shirai and Tegan Nox were still present with Charlotte Flair about to spend a few months on the black and gold brand. Instead, she and fans were left waiting. Sarray was able to continue wrestling for Joshi promotions, but big opportunities such as a World of Stardom Championship match with Mayu Iwatani had been lost because of the uncertainty of when she would be officially joining WWE. By March 2021, Sarray finally made it to the US and could begin her WWE career.

WWE did well to reignite the anticipation for Sarray’s NXT debut. She first appeared at Stand & Deliver where she was introduced in the crowd alongside Stephanie McMahon. A video package then aired a week before her first match where she was heavily endorsed by William Regal and Meiko Satomura. Commentary also put her over as being endorsed by legendary wrestlers Antonio Inoki, Aja Kong and Manami Toyota. Footage presented Sarray as being a very physical wrestler, a style that had become common and loved in NXT. Her first match with fellow newcomer Zoey Stark was enjoyable and surprisingly stiff. It was a promising debut where she helped elevate Zoey and showed little sign of needing time to settle in. Her cool entrance presented her as a big star and she did well to get the crowd on her side. I thought we were going to get another success story for a NXT Joshi wrestler. Sarray’s future matches, though, were shorter in length and occurred more sporadically. She actually wrestled just two matches throughout June and July with no storyline direction. Known as the ‘Warrior of the Sun’, her character ironically seemed to consist of her wanting to wrestle as much as possible against anyone. She would go on to have a great match with Dakota Kai in August and would soon finally get her first storyline with Mandy Rose. Up against a former main roster talent, it seemed like this would be when Sarray would kick on and soon end up in the title picture.

In September 2021, NXT transformed into NXT 2.0. The black and gold brand was in dire need of a refresh after feeling stale for so long. This new, colourful era put more focus on characters and young talent. Suddenly, new blood poured into the women’s division. Jacy Jayne, Cora Jade and Tiffany Stratton are some examples of women who were suddenly getting TV time. Some veterans still had a big role to play with Kay Lee Ray, Dakota Kai and Mandy Rose able to maintain their spots. For Sarray, though, her status seemed uncertain. The storyline with Mandy was suddenly abandoned, culminating in a six-women tag defeat to put over the hot new trio of Toxic Attraction. For the rest of the year, Sarray struggled for TV time and often had to settle for 205 Live appearances. When she did wrestle on NXT 2.0, she would be on the losing side. On 205 Live, she was used to help new talent like Amari Miller and Lash Legend. The latter had only her second match against the Joshi star, but the two did not gel well at all. The match was, unfairly, panned online by many. It was a sad way to end a rough first year for the ‘Sun God’. While Sarray was a great wrestler, it was clear that charisma and character were her weaknesses. In the previous iteration of NXT, her strengths would far outweigh those negatives. In NXT 2.0, however, this was no longer the case. Sarray was also still adjusting to wrestling in a WWE ring. Suddenly, the division was being filled with new women who were also going through adjustment periods and she now had to find a strong character and show charisma. Dakota Kai is someone who had to do the same and succeeded in doing so after taking time away. For Sarray, hopefully she would also benefit from a break.

After a two-month absence, Sarray returned in February with a new look and improved character. She was still the ‘Warrior of the Sun’, but now possessed her grandmother’s medallion that would transform her before matches and make her stronger. Her pre-match schoolgirl appearance immediately garnered a negative reaction from some. Personally, I felt that the drastic transformation added a cool anime aspect to Sarray’s character although its shelf life was a concern. This change did, though, help Sarray fit in with NXT 2.0 and provided some hope that her WWE career could finally kick on. Things started off well, with a more confident Sarray picking up a big win over Dakota Kai. She then lost her third match back on an episode of Level Up to Elektra Lopez. This defeat immediately hurt her gimmick as the medallion was supposed to change her fortunes and help her win more matches. Soon after, she had her first storyline back against Tiffany Stratton. It was an interesting clash of personalities. It started off in an entertaining manner when Tiffany attacked Sarray for rejecting a new necklace. In the end, though, it’s a feud that only served to put Tiffany over and further damage Sarray’s character. Tiffany exposed Sarray’s weakness in just the latter’s third TV match since her return by attacking and defeating her before she could transform. A month later, Tiffany would also defeat Sarray in her in-ring form. The short life of Sarray’s character suddenly became even shorter. She no longer seemed threatening when transforming, especially since it would take less than five minutes for her to lose. Looking at both women, it’s not surprising that creative favoured Tiffany. She was one of the fastest rising stars, stood out amongst the crowd with her athleticism and shone as an entertainer with her exaggerated ‘spoilt rich girl’ character. This version of Sarray had failed to win fans over and things just weren’t quite clicking for her in the ring. Being a great workrate wrestler in Japan seemed to no longer be enough to succeed in NXT.

Following another short period of absence, Sarray re-emerged across the pond in NXT UK. This brand had continued to focus more on showcasing great wrestling rather than over-the-top characters and antics. Surely, this was when Sarray’s luck would change as this environment suited her much more. Creative agreed as she was immediately put into a storyline with NXT UK Women’s Champion Meiko Satomura. Their championship match was given a good amount of build where fans unfamiliar with NXT UK were encouraged to tune in. When it was supposed to take place, though, it was suddenly cancelled with no reason provided as to why. Meiko vs Sarray would never be revisited as NXT UK would be put on indefinite hiatus. After over a month away, Sarray returned to NXT 2.0 and it seemed like she would renew her unfinished rivalry with NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose. This was not to be. In a little over five minutes, Mandy defeated Sarray in a rough match. Now we know that this was Sarray’s last appearance. Visa issues caused her to move back to Japan, but it doesn’t seem like this derailed any creative plans.

Months passed by with no hints of Sarray returning to NXT. A few weeks ago, she broke the silence by announcing that she was leaving WWE to compete again as a freelancer in Japan. People say far too often that a wrestler has been ‘freed’ from WWE after being released but I feel like this is a fair statement in Sarray’s case. Her run was basically cursed from the very start. She had to wait a year to debut due to Covid-19, NXT underwent a drastic reboot while she was still in an adjustment period, she went through gimmick changes and a much-needed NXT UK run ended after it had barely begun. So much happened that was out of her control. Despite constantly being given limited TV time and struggling to adapt to the WWE style, Sarray proved that she’s a good wrestler who can elevate others. Her character is a major reason why she just didn’t come close to embarking on a good run. She never looked comfortable in segments and seemed to much prefer entertaining fans with her wrestling ability. Before 2.0, I couldn’t really describe her to anyone. Her updated gimmick with the powerful medallion showed some promise but ultimately Sarray and creative didn’t seem to be fully on board, with the gimmick basically being crushed in the space of a single rivalry. She was constantly stuck in limbo and her departure has, understandably, been met with happiness and relief by fans including myself. The returning Sareee will be more appreciated by Japanese audiences and she’ll be able to regain her confidence in the ring.

It’s fair to sum up Sarray’s WWE run as being a case of horrible timing. If the pandemic never happens and she arrives at NXT in 2020, I think she becomes a big star and NXT Women’s Champion. It can be argued, though, that eventually she would’ve found herself in a difficult position anyway. On the main roster, her lack of charisma may have pushed her down the card below strong personalities like Bianca Belair, Bayley, Asuka, Carmella etc. Sudden changes and a long period of adapting can be blamed. I believe, though, that Sarray was never really a good fit for WWE. It’s a promotion where you can’t just be a wrestler, you have to also be an entertainer. She ticks every box in the wrestler criteria, but not in the WWE superstar criteria. I do believe that Sareee can find success outside of Japan in promotions like AEW and ROH where character and charisma are not as important, but for now it’s right for her to reset her career in her homeland. She is a very likeable wrestler and I will always root for her to succeed. I’m excited to see what matches lie ahead of her as the Joshi wrestling scene has grown in the past two years. Sarray came to WWE with much anticipation, endorsement and promise. She tried her best to succeed and gave herself time but, unfortunately, this was a journey that just wasn’t meant to be.