Elayna Black, formerly known as Cora Jade in WWE's NXT, has shared the motivations behind her decision to join Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling and her long-held aspiration to be part of the iconic women's faction, The Beautiful People. Black, who departed WWE in 2025, spent time on the independent circuit before signing with TNA in January.
Black told Fox News Digital that she grew up watching TNA and was a fan of Jeff Hardy. However, her ultimate idols were the female stable known as The Beautiful People, comprising Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, and Madison Rayne. Her admiration for the group was so profound that she contacted TNA at age 12, attempting to persuade them to make her the youngest member. "The Beautiful People, those are my girls," Black stated, recalling the group's theme song as her first ringtone on a flip phone.
Career Transition and TNA's Environment
After her WWE run, Black initially expressed hesitation about signing with TNA due to its partnership with WWE. She aimed to establish herself independently. "I wanted to prove myself somewhere else and I kind of wanted to be as far away from WWE as possible at the time just to prove who I was without them," she explained. However, after taking time off for personal reasons and mental health, Black reassessed her options.
She found that TNA offered the best environment for her to grow and contribute. "At the end of the day, it seemed like TNA had the best environment. I wanted to help bring TNA to the forefront and help TNA grow," Black said. She highlighted the creative freedom within TNA, contrasting it with the more structured approach at WWE. "TNA is very, very open to ideas and everything like that. So, when I kind of thought about all that I was like TNA is probably the place for me, which is great. I love TNA."
Black also noted the positive locker room atmosphere, particularly within the women's division. She praised TNA for its early efforts in elevating women's wrestling, stating that the company often doesn't receive enough credit for being ahead of the curve. "I think a lot of the times maybe TNA doesn't get the credit for kind of putting the Knockouts on the forefront very early on and trying to show what they can do," Black said. She believes TNA places significant trust and faith in its female wrestlers, making it an attractive destination for women in the sport.
Black made her main roster debut for TNA in January and is currently a contender for the TNA Knockouts World Championship. She is a regular on the weekly program "Impact," which airs on AMC.