Mara Shade Says TNA Could Be in Her Future After WWE Exit

Mara Shade, formerly known as Jakara Jackson in WWE, isn’t slowing down after becoming one of wrestling’s newest free agents—and she’s already teasing where her next move might take her. Following the end of her WWE non-compete clause on June 1, Shade is openly embracing her next chapter and made it clear she’s keeping a close eye on TNA Wrestling.

During a recent interview with WrestleZone, Shade reflected on her time working TNA tapings through WWE’s short-lived partnership with the company. She said the experience was nothing like what she was used to at the WWE Performance Center.

“All I knew was the PC life, really. I didn’t come from the indies beforehand. So to be going [to TNA] and just to see a different side of wrestling — it was awesome in my opinion.”

For Shade, TNA represented a refreshing level of creative freedom that she didn’t feel elsewhere. She spoke passionately about how important that hands-on experience was to her.

“I appreciated the freedom. I loved the creativity we could put into it. That’s fun to me. That makes wrestling fun. Not to say I wasn’t having fun in WWE, but it’s just so much more hands-on and I love that. I need that. And I feel like that’s where I’m going to thrive.”

When asked directly if she would return to TNA now that she’s on her own, Shade didn’t hesitate to drop a major hint.

“Most certainly. And I don’t want to put too much out there, but there are most certainly a lot of things in the works. And I don’t want to reveal until it’s time to, but I definitely have my eyes on TNA. I would love to go to Japan. Definitely wherever I can thrive, that’s where I want to be.”

As one of the most expressive talents to emerge from WWE NXT in recent years, Shade now has the opportunity to take full control of her career—and she’s not wasting any time lining up her next big moment. With her sights possibly set on TNA and beyond, it looks like fans haven’t seen the last of her just yet.

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