When a wrestler is released by WWE, one of two things typically happens. They either fade into obscurity or make a name for themselves on the independent scene, becoming a bigger star than they ever were in WWE.
Cody Rhodes remains the best example of that, and eventually returned to WWE as a headline act. Cora Jade was among the NXT talents released at the start of May, and she's wasted no time reinventing herself as Elayna Black.
Black has already discussed her release, but explained why she felt WWE gaslit her in the days leading up to her departure from NXT.
"If you had asked me, just because of my intuition, in those like few weeks leading up to it, I would have said no. I kind of felt that it was coming, again, not because something specific had happened. It was just that gut feeling. But I feel like, overall, I was a little bit surprised. Because two days prior to my release, I had went in and had a meeting with said person two days before and I had given so many ideas. I had set aside my personal feelings for this person, given so many ideas, was very professional, we had what I felt like was a great conversation."
"He’s pulling out his laptop, typing all these ideas, basically gaslighting me, and then two days later I get fired. So it was like, why even do that? Why have me give you all these ideas? You asked me to come in for this meeting. I had asked to have a meeting prior, but you asked me to come in on that day, at that time, typing in all these ideas. And then two days later, you can't even respond to a text."
Left reeling by WWE's decision to fire her, Black revealed that she sought advice from a woman she once clashed with in the ring: former NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose.
"The cuts happen all the time. You see them all the time. I feel like at any time, anyone who works there is going to have some thought in the back of their head that it could be over. So I feel like it could be a shock, and it was. But at the same time, I was always ready for it. I think it was like two weeks before I had texted Mandy, and I was like, 'Hey, I think I'm getting fired. I need to have some advice.' She was like, 'Girl, whatever happens, you're gonna be fine.'"
"Immediately, she got all the research resources for me, all the advice. She's literally so helpful. She's been not only like a wrestling mother to me, but like a business and management type mother to me, just seeing what she's been able to do with her life and how much she's helped me, just in this short period of time of me, it's literally been the month since I was released. She's helped me so much, and I can't say enough good things about Mandy."
You can hear much more from Black in the player below. She talks about reinventing herself on the independent scene, the backlash to her joining an adult subscription website, and much more.