For anyone expecting the autobiography from AEW star Saraya to be a novelised version of Fighting With My Family, this book will come as a shock.
With just about every trigger warning attached, Hell in Boots recounts the former WWE and AEW Women’s Champion overcoming the odds along with battles with addiction and the leaked video of her private life.
Following the first chapter that focuses on the leaked video, Saraya’s journey officially begins in the UK town of Norwich as part of the famous Knight wrestling family. Those who grew up in the UK around this time and are familiar with life in the cities, especially in certain pubs, will find many excerpts very relatable.
The chapters concerning her childhood are the most difficult to get through, with many stating that they needed a break after that point. Very early on the disturbing stories begin as Saraya details sexual abuse her and her brother suffered at a young age. The British wrestler also adds another unsettling incident that occurred during her early days of training, that saw a young Drew McIntyre intervene and come to the aid of the Norwich native.
In the section most similar to the biopic, Saraya’s WWE try-out sees her selected and her brother Zak miss out, much to the dejection of the Knight family. Additionally, the former WWE star details her conversation with The Rock that led to her shock main roster debut and title win on the Raw after Mania, which was the closing scene in the biopic that was also nearly scrapped at one point due to concerns over the former Paige’s well-being. Admitting that the match did not go off perfectly, the former Paige also recalls a humorous conversation with Randy Orton after her big moment.
Following the highs of the historic debut, the former WWE star opens up about her battles with alcohol and drug addiction while also dealing with life away from her home in the UK, problems which got worse when she was unable to wrestle due to injury, along with her exploits on Total Divas.
After touching on her relationship with Brad Maddox early on in the book, Saraya circles back to the relationship as the infamous sex tape is brought up and how she found out about the severe invasion of provacy. Dealing with numerous other issues on top of the leak, the former WWE star details those that were supportive at that time both professionally and personally, especially her father.
While there are a lot of uncomfortable topics in Hell in Boots, the former Women’s Champion is very positive about many she dealt with in the wrestling industry along with the day when she found out that she was cleared to wrestle again after being forced to retire back in 2018. Briefly discussing the move to AEW and her Wembley Stadium triumph in 2023, Saraya joins the likes of Adam Copeland and Bryan Danielson who have been given a second chance and the opportunity to retire on her own terms.
Saraya: Hell In Boots Verdict
Saraya’s first autobiography is a much more honest look at the British star’s life and journey in the crazy world of professional wrestling. Having dealt with multiple traumas, some of which from an early age, to say that the former AEW and WWE star has crawled through multiple lives is not an understatement. It would have been nice for her to focus more on her time in AEW given that the former Women’s Champion was a part of the company for years, but following the developments that have taken place in recent months, a follow-up looks to be inevitable, no matter what happens next.
For fans of Saraya and wrestling in general, Hell in Boots is brutally honest and a real Paige-turner.
Featured image: Gallery Books
