Ruby Soho on Not Taking Sides in AEW Homegrown vs. Outside Talent Conflict

– During a recent interview with Fightful’s Grapsody podcast, AEW star Ruby Soho spoke on the conflict in the AEW women’s division ahead of tomorrow’s title challenge at AEW Revolution. Below are some highlights:

Ruby Soho on not taking sides in conflict between homegrown AEW talent and the outsiders: “I have told a lot of people I don’t even know how I ended up here. I don’t know how I ended up in the middle. I feel like I was in the wrong place at the wrong time a bunch of times. Where I’m just trying to come to work and I’m trying to win matches and I’m trying go home. That’s all I do. I just mind my business, I do what I need to do and go ‘cause again, I’m too old for it. But now I’m in this position where I’m being pulled in both directions and I don’t really want to go either. If I had to choose a side, I’m choosing my side. That’s the side I’m choosing. Because at the end of the day, that’s all I can depend on is me. If I’m winning the title, I’m winning the title. Not a group. I did the group thing before. I did it for four years. Some of the best times of my entire life. I ain’t doing it again. I’m over it. I’m choosing my side. I’m choosing me and I’m the only person I can depend on to make sure I take home that gold. So as far as the cat fight crap that keeps happening, I would love for it to just stop. But I don’t know how to run away from it and still run towards the gold. I feel like it’s just something I have to maneuver through in order to get to where I want to be. But, yeah, it’s been an ordeal.”

On the divide in the women’s division: “I think this divide was a long time coming. It was going to happen regardless because of how many people that have come from somewhere else coming into the company. I think that it was inevitable because, after a while, the homegrowns are like, ‘We built this place,’ and the outsiders are like, ‘We came here to try to make this place better.’ So I think that there’s an argument on both sides. I think that this was inevitable. I was just fortunate enough to be stuck in the middle when it came to fruition.”

Her thoughts on Saraya: “I’ve definitely always been a fan of Saraya. I’ve always looked at her as someone who paved the way for a woman like me to be accepted in the wrestling industry. I feel like alternative woman, with people like her and Lita, if it wasn’t for them, I would not have been as accepted as I have been over the last few years. So I definitely have monumental amounts of respect for her. I have, obviously, when my hair was longer and it was black because women can only be seen as similar by the color and length of their hair, I was compared to her a lot throughout my early days of my career. While that was an honor to be compared to somebody with the talent caliber of her, I was definitely out to show that I was different and that we are two very different competitors. I think one of the reasons that is also a dream scenario for people is to see how different we really are. The one way you can really prove that is to step into the ring together. I’m excited to see exactly how that interaction takes place. But I’m also excited to step into the ring with someone I’ve had a lot of respect for a really long time.”

On Jamie Hayter’s title run: “After having watched Jamie’s reign thus far, she has been an absolutely incredible champion, without a shadow of a doubt. She has proved to everyone why they stuck by her. Why the fans were enamored with her for the last few months and rooting for her and basically screaming for everyone to pay attention to Jamie Hayter. She has proved it with every single match she’s had. She brought out a fight in every woman that she’s had. Which is what a true champion does, is to bring out a special level of fight to bring the importance of this title. I think there are gonna be some big shoes to fill in that instance.”

At this weekend’s AEW Revolution event, Ruby Soho challenges champ Jamie Hayter and Saraya in a Triple Threat Match for the AEW Women’s World Championship. The match goes down tomorrow (March 5) in San Francisco, California. The event will be broadcast live on pay-per-view.