Who would have thought that former AEW Women’s Champion Saraya would make headlines by taking down the Phoenix Suns’ beloved mascot, “Go the Gorilla,” with a textbook suplex during a game on Tuesday night at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona?
During a break in the NBA game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, Saraya found herself on the court and wasted no time in delivering a kick to the stomach of the unsuspecting mascot before executing a signature snap suplex.
While this unexpected altercation may have raised eyebrows, it’s worth noting that AEW is set to appear at Phoenix’s Footprint Arena for Wednesday’s episode of the wrestling company’s show Dynamite, sparking speculation among fans about potential surprises, including the rumored arrival of Mercedes Mone, known as Sasha Banks during her WWE tenure.
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Interestingly, the Phoenix Suns’ Gorilla mascot has a storied history, originating in 1980 when Henry Rojas donned a gorilla suit for a singing telegram at a game. Since then, the mascot has become renowned as one of the top mascots in professional sports.
Saraya, also known as Paige in WWE, boasts an impressive wrestling resume, being the first NXT Women’s Champion and the youngest female champion in WWE history. Notably, she is the only wrestler to hold both the NXT and WWE Women’s Championships simultaneously, and the only woman to have won titles in both WWE and AEW.
Fortunately for the Suns mascot, his encounter with Saraya concluded without incident, unlike the unfortunate run-in between another “Champ-Champ,” Conor McGregor, and Burnie, the Miami Heat mascot, during Game 4 of the NBA Finals last year. McGregor’s aggressive actions toward Burnie resulted in the mascot’s performer requiring medical attention.