Daria Rae’s January 15 debut in TNA Wrestling as The Suit surprised fans—but now she’s revealing the personal and professional reasons that led her back to the ring.
In a January 19, 2026 interview with Denise Salcedo, the former WWE star opened up about what brought her to TNA, and why the timing felt exactly right. According to Rae, the decision wasn’t just strategic—it was emotional.
She said the idea to return to wrestling came during a heartfelt conversation at home. As the year ended, she had a moment of clarity and told her wife she felt the pull to come back. Her wife agreed.
“As we rounded the end of the year, I had an epiphany. I looked at my wife and I was like, ‘Babe, I want to go back to wrestling in some capacity.’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, I think you should.’ So that was kind of it.”
Rae revealed that she’d been in communication with TNA since leaving WWE. What made the connection even more natural was TNA’s ownership under Anthem Sports—the same parent company that owns Invicta FC, where she had previously met Anthem exec Carlos Silva.
“I’d been talking to TNA pretty much from the moment I left WWE, because TNA is owned by the same company that owns Invicta FC, Anthem Sports. I had met Carlos Silva at an Invicta event and we had talked back then. I just wasn’t ready at the time. But then I was.”
The timing couldn’t have been more serendipitous. Rae officially reached out just one day before TNA’s AMC TV deal was announced. Her emotional return to the stage after a ten-month absence sealed it.
“People asked me, ‘Did you know?’ And I was like, ‘No, I had no clue. How would I know?’ That was the full-circle moment I needed. It was the reassurance that this was the right time and the right place. When I walked out on stage for the first time in ten months, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is where I’m supposed to be.’”
She also admitted that she’d been keeping an eye on TNA and was particularly drawn to the energy of the product—and the potential tension with Santino Marella’s character. Beyond just TV moments, Rae said she sensed a shift in TNA’s culture—one that excited her creatively.
“I’d been watching Santino’s segments as a character and thinking, ‘Oh, I’d love to shut him up.’ I immediately saw how good the dichotomy between me and him would be. I thought it was hotter than ever. I saw a lot of excited wrestlers on the independents wanting to get there, and with the Invicta partnership, it all made sense. I just felt like this is where I’m supposed to be right now. It felt like the next step.”
Rae’s debut as The Suit saw her betray Santino Marella and take over as the new authority figure on TNA programming—bringing a sharper, more aggressive energy to the role. According to a recent Fightful Select Q&A report by Sean Ross Sapp, the internal reaction to her debut has been “very positive,” with many backstage feeling it was time for a change.
With her confidence renewed and vision clear, Daria Rae isn’t just playing a role in TNA—she’s owning it.
What’s your take on Daria Rae’s return to pro wrestling and her new role in TNA? Is this the perfect fit—or do you want to see her back in a WWE ring someday? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
