Saraya Knight

Julia Hamer-Bevis (October 19, 1971) is an English professional wrestler known by her ring names Sweet Saraya and Saraya Knight.
==Professional wrestling career==
In 1990, Hamer left her home in Halifax to take up employment as a chef at the Pontins holiday camp in for the summer season. One day while working in the restaurant she met Ricky Knight, a professional wrestler, part of the cabaret circuit. The two became inseparable and Julia soon left Pontins to travel with Rick full-time. She became involved in making wrestling costumes and putting the rings up and down. A few months later, Ricky said he wanted her to be part of the show, as a manager in his corner. At Camber Sands, Julia made her debut as Saraya. When the summer season finished Julia joined the Sensational Superflys (Ricky & Jimmy Ocean) as their manager. In 1993 Ricky put it to Saraya that she may want to wrestle. She readily agreed, and was a quick learner, debuting in later that year against Nikki Best.
===Shimmer Women Athletes===
Saraya made her debut for the all-female promotion Shimmer Women Athletes on March 26, 2011, at the tapings of Volume 37, along with her daughter and tag team partner Britani Knight. Saraya and Britani were managed by the returning Rebecca Knox and made an open challenge, which was answered by Nikki Roxx and Ariel. The Knight Dynasty won the match via disqualification after Saraya tried to hit Ariel with brass knuckles and Ariel grabbed them and got caught hitting Saraya with them. Later that same day, at the tapings of Volume 38, the Knight Dynasty unsuccessfully challenged the Seven Star Sisters (Hiroyo Matsumoto and Misaki Ohata) for the Shimmer Tag Team Championship. During the October 1 and 2, 2011, tapings Britani entered a losing streak, which eventually caused Saraya to turn on her. Saraya and Britani faced each other in a no disqualification match on Volume 44, where Britani managed to pick up the win in her final Shimmer appearance, before heading to Florida Championship Wrestling. During the March 2012 tapings, Knight feuded with Cheerleader Melissa. The feud drew inspiration from a previous incident between the pair at a Real Quality Wrestling event in Colchester, England in 2007, where Knight suffered a career-threatening knee injury at the hands of Melissa. This culminated in a match on March 18 on Volume 48, where Knight defeated Melissa to win the SHIMMER Championship.
Knight made her first defense of the title at the SHINE 4 iPPV in Ybor City, Florida on October 19, defeating Jazz, and again at AAW in Berwyn on October 26, against MsChif. Knight successfully defended her Shimmer Championship during the October 2012 tapings, defeating Athena on Volume 49, Kellie Skater, MsChif and Hiroyo Matsumoto in a four-way elimination match on Volume 51, and in a rematch with Cheerleader Melissa on Volume 52. On April 6, 2013, at Volume 53, Knight lost the Shimmer Championship back to Cheerleader Melissa in a steel cage match.
===World Association of Women's Wrestling===
In November 2011, Saraya revived her all-female promotion WAWW, the sister promotion to her husbands World Association of Wrestling. The first show was called "The Return" and featured Shimmer star Alison Danger(USA) in the main event against Saraya for the vacant World Championship. Danger was victorious via submission using an armbar with extra leverage from her manager Tommy Lee. The company’s second show "Bellatrix" was held in March and main-evented by 80's star Busty Keegan teaming with Destiny to face "The Twisted Sisters" of Sweet Saraya and EWW Women’s Champions Skarlett in a 2 out of 3 falls tag match. The Twisted Sisters defeated Keegan and Destiny 2 falls to 1. At the company's third show in June, Saraya faced Liberty for the British Championship, a title Liberty won from Saraya's Daughter Britani Knight at "The Return". After an impressive technical exchange, Liberty surprised many when she defeated Saraya(who was Shimmer World Champion at this point) clean by pinfall with an Air Raid Crash. The main event was for the RQW European Championship as Queen Maya from Italy defended her title against Aurora Flame from Norway, and ended with Maya retaining the title after Jetta interfered and stated she would turn the locker room against Saraya. In September 2012 WAWW held The Queen of the Ring Tournament featuring Saraya, Skarlett, Destiny, Lady Lori (Germany), Violet O'Hara, Miss Mina (Norway), Chanel and Penelope. The final saw Destiny faces Saraya with Destiny victorious after further interference from Jetta, who then brawled with Saraya causing the WAW roster to separate them. Destiny then left with Jetta siding with her against Saraya.
==Personal life==
Julia is married to Ricky Knight. Together they have 2 children, both professional wrestlers: Britani Knight and Zak Knight. Julia is also the step-mother of Roy Knight. Julia once wrestled while she was unknowingly seven months pregnant with Britani. The family runs the World Association Of Wrestling (WAW) promotion in Norwich. She owns and operates Bellatrix Female Warriors, a women's wrestling promotion also based in Norwich.
In July 2012, Channel 4 produced a documentary about the Knights entitled The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family. The documentary is being turned into a feature film by Stephen Merchant with Dwayne Johnson producing, titled Fighting with My Family.
==In wrestling==
*Finishing moves
**Saraya Cradle (Bridging Cradle Suplex)
**Knightmare (Single Leg Boston Crab)
**Saraya Cradle/Bridle Horse (Modified Leg Trap Camel Clutch)
**Superplex
*Signature moves
**Facebuster
**Rope-hung DDT
**Samoan Drop
**Sitout Powerbomb
*Managers
**Rebecca Knox
*Entrance themes
**"Faint" by Linkin Park
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Blackcraft Wrestling
**Blackcraft Women's Championship (1 time)
*Dynamic Over-The-Top Action Wrestling
**DOA UK Women's Championship (1 time)
*European Catch Tour Association
**ECTA Women's Championship (1 time)
*German Stampede Wrestling
**GSW Women's Championship (1 time)
*Herts & Essex Wrestling
**HEW Women's Championship (3 times)
*New Horizons Pro Wrestling
**IndyGurlz Australia Championship (1 time)
*Premier Wrestling Federation
**PWF Ladies Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Britani Knight
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked her #8 in the 2012 PWI Top 50 Females
**PWI ranked her #3 in the 2013 PWI Top 50 Females
**PWI ranked her #14 in the 2014 PWI Top 50 Females
**PWI ranked her #32 in the 2015 PWI Top 50 Females
**PWI ranked her #27 in the 2017 PWI Top 50 Females
**PWI ranked her #35 in the 2018 PWI Top 100 Females
**PWI ranked her #39 in the 2019 PWI Top 100 Females
*Queens of Chaos
**World Queens of Chaos Championship (1 time)
*Real Deal Wrestling
**RDW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**RDW Women's Championship (1 time)
*Real Quality Wrestling
**RQW Women's Championship (1 time)
*Shimmer Women Athletes
**Shimmer Championship (1 time)
*Southside Wrestling Entertainment
**Queen Of Southside Championship (1 time)
*Swiss Championship Wrestling
**SCW Ladies Championship (1 time)
*TNT Extreme Wrestling
**TNT Women’s Championship (1 time)
*World Association of Wrestling
**WAWW British Championship (2 times)
*World Association Of Women's Wrestling
**WAWW World Championship (2 times)
==External links==
* Profile
* Profile
Category:1971 births
Category:1990 debuts
Category:English wrestlers
Category:Female wrestlers
Category:Knight family
Category:ChickFight alumni
Category:Frontier Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:Premier Promotions alumni
Category:Queens of Chaos alumni
Category:Real Quality Wrestling alumni
Category:World Association of Women's Wrestling current roster
Category:World Association of Wrestling current roster
Category:Bellatrix alumni
Category:SHIMMER Women Athletes alumni
Category:SHIMMER Champions
Category:SHINE Wrestling alumni
Category:NCW Femmes Fatales alumni
Category:Grimsby Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:All American Wrestling alumni
Category:All Star Wrestling alumni
Category:Best Of British Wrestling alumni
Category:DAM Promotions alumni
Category:Fighting Spirit Federation alumni
Category:Future Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Herts And Essex Wrestling alumni
Category:Insane Championship Wrestling: Fierce Females alumni
Category:International Catch Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom alumni
Category:International Wrestling Promotions alumni
Category:Italian Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:New Alliance of Wrestling Athletes alumni
Category:New Horizons Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Northern Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Norton British Wrestling alumni
Category:Norwegian Wrestling Federation alumni
Category:Pro-Wrestling: EVE alumni
Category:Real Deal Wrestling alumni
Category:Scottish Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:Southside Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:Swiss Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Target Wrestling alumni
Category:Union Of European Wrestling Alliances alumni
Category:World Wide Wrestling League alumni
Category:Women Superstars Uncensored alumni
Category:Wrestling Stars alumni
Category:IndyGurlz Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Living people
Category:RISE Wrestling alumni
Category:Blackcraft Wrestling alumni
Category:Wilde On guests