TNA Wrestling delivered on its promise of surprises for the premiere of “TNA Impact” on AMC, one of which was the debut of Elayna Black. Formerly known as Cora Jade in WWE NXT, Elayna has officially joined the TNA Knockouts division and has immediately set her goal on capturing the TNA Knockouts World Championship, currently held by Ray Ying Lee. According to Fightful Select, Black signed her contract with TNA shortly after her debut on “Impact,” a move confirmed by both Black and the company as she was added to TNA’s roster.
Elayna Black confirmed her signing during an interview on “Busted Open Radio,” and TNA released footage on their official website showing her contract signing with Tommy Dreamer and TNA President Carlos Silva. Both Dreamer and Silva expressed excitement about her joining full-time, noting that she enjoyed her appearances with the company while still with WWE and realized TNA was the right fit for her.
At just 25 years old, Elayna Black is already a seven-year pro with an impressive track record. While wrestling under the name Cora Jade in WWE, she frequently competed in the NXT Women’s Championship scene and held the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Roxanne Perez in 2022. She also challenged for the TNA Knockouts World Championship during her WWE tenure but was unsuccessful, losing to Masha Slamovich in March 2025.
Her WWE contract ended in June 2025 when she was released. After a brief return to the independent circuit, Black announced a hiatus from wrestling to focus on her mental health. She shared that during her WWE run, she suffered an ectopic pregnancy that nearly took her life, profoundly impacting her mental well-being, compounded by a serious knee injury that required nine months to heal. Now fully recovered and re-energized, Elayna Black is back at TNA, ready to make a major impact in the wrestling world.
Fan Take: This signing is significant for WWE fans because it highlights how emerging talents can reinvent themselves and find new opportunities outside WWE. Elayna Black’s journey underscores the resilience and evolving landscape of women’s wrestling, which continues to grow stronger and more competitive across all promotions.
