Cora Jade, former WWE Superstar, explains the reasons behind her temporary retirement

After the latest round of layoffs in WWE, one of the names whose departure surprised most wrestling fans was that of Cora Jade. The wrestler had been a key piece in the now-defunct NXT 2.0 women's division, but the wrestler's slow learning, a serious health problem, and an anterior cruciate ligament injury in her knee thwarted her rise.

After leaving the TKO company, the wrestler appeared in some independent promotions with the goal of making a name for herself in the scene. However, about a month ago, she announced that she would stop working as a wrestler for a while. In a recent interview with TMZ Inside the Ring, she revealed her reasons.

Jade, now Elayna Black, admitted that this distance from the ring is due to the immense physical and mental wear and tear it generates in her. She admitted that after leaving WWE, she tried to leverage her cachet to become one of the leading figures in the independent scene, but she couldn't handle the dates she was booked for, especially mentally. "I had like 20 shows right away. I was out four days a week, plane after plane. I was going, going, going. And that's when I realized: I'm not enjoying this. I had panic attacks before every match. Cold sweat, drenched, vomiting—I felt physically horrible just knowing I had to wrestle that weekend", Black revealed.

This level of discomfort with her situation reached such a point that she described her relationship with wrestling as toxic, as it had ceased to be her passion and had become a torment: "I have a toxic relationship with wrestling right now. It was just exhausting. I wasn't sleeping. I wasn't eating. I wasn't training. I was so depressed. I hit rock bottom", she explained.

Fortunately, the wrestler confirmed that after a month away from the ring, her personal situation has improved exponentially. Additionally, she admitted that if she hadn't stopped, she would have seen herself retiring permanently in the future. "Wrestling will always be there… Even in my post, I said I'm just taking the rest of the year to see how I feel. I never said I was quitting wrestling", concluded the former NXT Tag Team Champion.