Sareee is WWE's worst fumble in recent years

There’s a lot of debate about professional wrestlers that WWE “missed” on in recent years. But there’s one name that should be near, if not at the top of the last. That person in Sareee and anyone watching her run both before and after her time in WWE can easily see that she’s one of the best women’s wrestlers in the world. WWE should be embarrassed for how she was booked, or not booked, while she was on the roster.

Sareee is 28 years old and is establishing herself as one of the top women to watch in Japan. As Giulia prepares to head to WWE, Sareee has the abilities and presence to be one of the featured names in Japanese women’s wrestling. Scott Edwards of Fightful sat down with Sareee for an in-depth interview in which she talked about transitioning back to Japan and various other topics placing her at the top of women’s wrestling in the country.

Look at what she’s achieved since leaving WWE. So many of her matches are getting rave reviews and stand out as candidates for best of the year. Her April 27 match against Mayu Iwatani is a must-see contest for anyone who loves professional wrestling. She teamed with Bozilla against Giulia and Utami Hayashishita for Marigold’s first card, setting up a match with Giulia at the next big show. Sareee’s 2024 catalog is packed with bangers.

WWE had her on the roster and embarrassed itself with her booking. Initially, it looked like she was going to be booked at the top of the card. She picked up several big wins over Zoey Stark, Mandy Rose, and Gigi Dolin, and had a great 13-minute match with Dakota Kai. She was presented in the same fashion as she was in Japan and given the space to be a great professional wrestler.

But the NXT 2.0 shift brought all that to a halt. Vince McMahon’s “creative direction” from the main roster infected NXT, which caused Sareee to get a questionable gimmick and get pushed down the card. She went from being a contender to being placed on NXT Level Up, losing much more frequently than she won. Tiffany Stratton defeated Sareee in two matches with a combined length of less than six minutes. Think about that. Her last match came against Mandy Rose in August of 2022 before she would quietly exit the company.

Imagine if Sareee was still on the roster today. Think about the potential matches in NXT between Sareee, Roxanne Perez, and Giulia. Think about her on the main roster, either working with or battling against Damage CTRL. Sareee versus Becky Lynch, Bayley, Rhea Ripley, Nia Jax – so many great matches just missed. She’d be a pillar for this division’s future. And WWE’s ridiculous booking direction under the vision of one person failed to see that potential.

It's great to see Sareee continue to find success in Japan. Not only is she finding that success, but more of the wrestling world is recognizing that she’s a star among stars. Be sure to watch whenever she steps into the ring because it’s going to be a great showcase of her abilities.