Serena Deeb‘s run in All Elite Wrestling has been remarkable, as it wasn’t long ago that the veteran was mostly retired and working as a coach in WWE.
When the latter company released her in 2020, she returned to the ring and quickly became a breakout star, as she won the NWA World Women’s Championship from Thunder Rosa. Almost two years later, Deeb and Rosa have both climbed to the top of AEW’s women’s division, and “The Professor” will challenge “La Mera Mera” for the AEW Women’s World Championship at AEW Double or Nothing.
During an appearance on Under The Ring, Deeb reflected on her journey up to this point and noted that she’s proud of where she is today. She also described how she is at least partially driven to succeed in wrestling because many of her friends and peers don’t get the chance to.
“I’m really proud,” said Deeb. “Sometimes it’s like everything moves so fast in wrestling and it’s hard to step back and take perspective and look at kind of how far I’ve come. I’m 35 now, I started wrestling when I was 18. I have a lot of friends and peers in the wrestling business that never got their shot, so a lot of my drive is like doing it for them and doing it in honor of them, and in honor of OVW and the great training I got there. But it’s amazing.
“To be in the position I am now, getting ready to wrestle for the AEW Women’s World Championship in Vegas against one of the greatest, Thunder Rosa, it’s crazy. I’m really proud of where I’m at and feel like I’m in the best shape of my life, and I’m so hungry that it’s going, it’s not stopping anytime soon. And I’m having a lot of fun.”
Deeb also emphasized that AEW has been a “blessing”, both in her career and in the wrestling world as a whole. She praised Tony Khan by calling him a nice boss and stated that AEW truly feels like home.
“AEW has been in my opinion the biggest blessing to the wrestling world,” said Deeb. “I mean it’s indescribable. And Tony Khan is like the nicest boss I’ve ever had. Of all the jobs I’ve ever had in my life, he is the nicest boss. And he just keeps going and he keeps wanting to do more and open up more doors and I just respect and admire that. If it weren’t for AEW, I really don’t know where I would be. And I’m grateful for all my time at WWE, both as talent, Straight Edge Society days and in a coaching position as well. It was a privilege and everything and an honor to be trusted that way.
“But AEW does feel like home, and I know that sounds a little cheesy and people say that and it’s a little generic. But it really does. It really feels like home. It’s like where I was always meant to be. And I followed it from the start. I was working at the opposition but watching the product every week and just like wow, I wanna wrestle there. I wanna wrestle there. So in some ways I think maybe I manifested my release.”
RELATED: Thunder Rosa Vows To Become A Professor Of Professional Wrestling By Beating Serena Deeb
