The wrestling world moves fast, but the internet moves faster. One day you’re watching a "Generation of Jade" promo on NXT, and the next, your timeline is blowing up because Cora Jade—now going by her original name Elayna Black—has launched a subscription page.
It’s a transition that has become almost a rite of passage for former WWE talent. Honestly, it’s kinda predictable at this point, yet it still manages to set the wrestling community on fire every single time.
When Cora Jade left WWE in May 2025, people had questions. Was it the injury? Was it the booking? Did she just get tired of the grind? While those factors played a role, the real story behind the Cora Jade OnlyFans launch is a mix of financial freedom, mental health, and the changing landscape of how female athletes monetize their personal brands in 2026.
The WWE Exit and the Pivot to Subscription Content
Cora Jade didn't just wake up and decide to leave the biggest wrestling promotion on the planet. Her final year in the company was a literal rollercoaster of ACL tears and missed opportunities. After returning to the CW premiere of NXT in late 2024, it felt like she was back in the driver's seat.
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But then, the release happened.
May 2025 saw a wave of talent cuts, and Cora’s name was on the list. For a 24-year-old who literally dropped out of high school to pursue this, it was a massive blow. Or so we thought. Within weeks, the rumors started. On June 2, 2025, she officially opened the doors to her digital platform.
Breaking the "WWE Box"
In a candid interview with Chris Van Vliet, she basically said she felt like she was in a box. In WWE, you have handlers. You have scripts. You have people telling you what you can and cannot post on social media.
"I don't have those handcuffs anymore," she told Van Vliet.
She's not the first one to do this. Mandy Rose (Mandy Sacs) famously set the template. When Mandy was let go over her FanTime content, she didn't disappear; she became a millionaire. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Cora likely made more in her first month on the platform than most women in wrestling make in a year.
It’s hard to argue with that logic. Why take bumps on the independent circuit for a thousand bucks a night when you can sit at home and watch the money roll in?
Dealing with the Backlash
If you’ve spent five minutes on wrestling Twitter, you know it can be a toxic wasteland. The news of a Cora Jade OnlyFans account brought out all the critics. People called her "lazy." They said she was throwing away her career.
Cora’s response? She basically told them to hit the unfollow button.
"If it’s not affecting me, my money, or who I love... I don't care. The fact that people are so concerned with what I'm doing with my body and my career is ridiculous. Most of them are going to subscribe anyway."
She’s got a point. The duality of being a professional athlete while maintaining a "premium" social media presence is the new reality. She even mentioned that Mandy Rose has been giving her advice on how to navigate the content and the business side of things. It's a sorority of sorts—women who realized they own their image, not a corporate entity.
The Mental Health Sabbatical
Shortly after the success of her new venture, Elayna Black (as she was now known) announced she was taking a sabbatical from wrestling entirely.
This was the part that actually worried fans. She cited a loss of passion and a need to protect her mental health. It’s a recurring theme in the industry lately. The pressure to stay relevant, combined with the physical toll of wrestling, is enough to break anyone.
Having that subscription income gave her the "breathing room" to actually step away. Most wrestlers can't afford to take six months off. They have to keep working the indies to pay rent. For Cora, the digital platform wasn't just a side hustle; it was an exit strategy that allowed her to heal.
The Return: TNA and the 2026 Landscape
Fast forward to January 15, 2026.
The premiere of TNA Impact on AMC featured a massive surprise. Daria Rae (formerly Sonya Deville) walked out and introduced the newest member of the Knockouts division: Elayna Black.
The "Generation of Jade" hadn't died; it just rebranded.
What’s interesting about her new TNA deal is that it reflects a more modern contract. She’s wrestling full-time again, but the platform that made her financially independent during her "dark year" hasn't gone away. The industry has finally started to realize that you can’t stop these women from monetizing their own likeness.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think that starting a platform like this means a wrestler is "retired" or "giving up."
That's the biggest misconception.
Look at Jordynne Grace. She had a massive following on subscription sites, shut it down to work with WWE, and then went right back to her own terms. For Cora, the Cora Jade OnlyFans era was a bridge. It bridged the gap between being a "WWE Superstar" and being a "Professional Wrestler/Entrepreneur."
She’s now 25, she’s signed a one-year deal with TNA through 2026, and she’s arguably in a better position than she ever was in NXT. She has the money, she has the freedom, and she has her name back.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Content Consumers
If you're following the career of someone like Cora Jade/Elayna Black, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding how these digital platforms work and what they mean for the industry:
- Support via Official Channels: If you're looking for her content, always stick to the links in her verified Instagram (@elaynablack) or her official website. Third-party "leak" sites are often filled with malware and don't actually support the creator.
- Respect the Boundary: As Cora has stated multiple times, her "work" (wrestling) and her "personal life" (social media) are separate. Critiquing a match is one thing; harassing a performer about their personal business choices is another.
- Watch the TNA Transition: Keep an eye on her 2026 run in TNA. It will likely serve as a case study for how wrestlers can maintain a "premium" online presence while still being top-tier athletic performers in a major promotion.
- Follow the Business Model: Understand that for many women in the industry, these platforms are a form of insurance. In a world where a contract can be terminated at any moment, building a direct-to-consumer brand is the only real job security they have.
The "Generation of Jade" is now the "Era of Elayna," and it's being built on her own terms. Whether she's in a ring in Garland, Texas, or posting behind-the-scenes glimpses for her subscribers, she’s proven that you don't need a corporate machine to stay relevant. You just need a loyal fanbase and the guts to ignore the noise.