WWE released Cora Jade from their contract as part of their spring cleaning, soon after Wrestlemania 41 season was over. Given her talent and potential, many were shocked to see the bright talent being let go of the company. She didn’t let the downfall get to her, badly, as she’s clearly ready to make an impact around the indie scene.
As reported earlier, multiple promotions have already booked her for future appearances. Now that she’s done with the mandatory 30-day no-compete clause with the WWE, Cora Jade finally made her in-ring return at an indie event, and she went by the name of Elayna Black.
The in-ring return came at Black Label Pro’s “Have You Heard” event on June 14 in Crown Point, Indiana, as Black wrestled for the very first time following her WWE departure. She squared off against Rachel Armstrong in her first match back with this promotion since 2020 and also picked up the win upon landing a DDT on her opponent.
Aura 💜 🖤 @ElaynaBlack #EraOfElayna pic.twitter.com/Jx4vpyApUI
— Esteban Cardenas (@ECBITW) June 15, 2025
And just like that…
WELCOME to THE
ERA OF ELAYNA @elaynablack #EraOfElayna pic.twitter.com/Rz9J3AvMtB
— Esteban Cardenas (@ECBITW) June 14, 2025
Fresh off her first post-WWE match on the indie scene, Black also dropped a vignette on social media, officially closing the chapter of Cora Jade that defined her run on the WWE NXT brand. Viewers could witness Black destroying the remnants of her former character as she smashed the trademark skateboard and other signature props from her WWE run. “The Generation of Jade is dead,” a short message came at the end.
Cora Jade Reveals Her 2025 WWE Departure Owed To “A Company Decision”
Cora Jade had a gut feeling about her sudden WWE release
This significant move comes as an aftermath of Cora Jade’s unexpected WWE release that occurred in May 2025. Being a standout of the NXT 2.0 era, she won the Women’s Tag Team Championship and gradually established herself to be a top heel on the brand that the fans might not forget, that easily.
During a recent appearance on Going Ringside, Cora Jade talked about her WWE release, and she made it clear that she had a gut feeling that something was coming to diminish her career in the company,
“But I kind of had a feeling, and you know, when the call comes, there’s nothing to do but go out from there,” stated Cora Jade while avoiding the reason behind WWE trimming down her from the roster. “We don’t need to get into all of that, but I feel like there’s little inklings here and there, and you know, you get the vibe.” (quotes courtesy Ringside News)