There were many unexpected WWE releases last month, but Cora Jade, who now goes by Elayna Black, remains among the most surprising.
The former NXT Superstar, who once looked destined for a top spot on the main roster, previously alluded to being body shamed by those working in the company. Now, in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Black addressed the negativity she endured from those meant to support her.
"I came in at 19 years old, I was like, 110 pounds, like, I was so small, and it was just constant comments, whether it was from guys who think they’re being funny or..." she trailed off, confirming she wasn't referring to either Triple H or Shawn Michaels. "I remember specifically being told that I wasn’t and wouldn’t be champion in that company because I looked like I couldn’t crack an egg."
"In my opinion, [strength and conditioning classes] are more geared towards, like, college athletes. It never felt like it was like doing anything from my body," Black explained. "So I’m like, ‘You guys are yelling at me for how I look, but you’re not really helping me out in the strength and conditioning that I need then.’ So then I would just go to my other gym, outside of [the Performance Center] afterwards."
She went on to say that these experiences at such a young age had an understandably detrimental impact on her body image. "I don’t think anyone, especially as another man, should be saying that to a female, yeah, like, especially as I was, like, so young, and it created, like, a lot of issues for me, body-wise."
Addressing the online discourse that followed her X post, Black noted. "Seeing that, I was, like, if you only knew what I dealt with and how much I had to progress because of those things, you know what I mean?"
Black has made several bookings on the independent scene and is showing no signs of letting her WWE release slow her down. There's every chance she'll make it back to WWE somewhere down the line, though Black appears focused on building her brand.
"I just know that wherever I do end up, I want to make sure that it’s better than what I was before," she said elsewhere in her conversation with Helwani, "and use this time to really blow up and make people be like, oh sh*t. Like, this is the better version of Elayna Black than we’ve ever seen."
You can watch the full interview with Cora Jade/Elayna Black in the player below.