Elayna Black Warned About Leaving Wrestling for OnlyFans: “Out of Sight Is Out of Mind”

Elayna Black might be stepping away from wrestling, but Booker T isn’t letting the moment pass without offering some real-world perspective.

The former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion—known to fans as Cora Jade—announced on July 28, 2025, that she’s canceling all future bookings and taking the rest of the year off to focus on her mental health. But on his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T zeroed in on her decision and delivered advice rooted in experience, momentum, and the brutal reality of trying to make a comeback.

After hearing co-host Brad Gilmore read Elayna’s statement, Booker admitted he couldn’t fully compare her journey to his own, but saw something familiar in her situation.

“You know, it’s kind of hard for me to, you know, correlate my situation with Elayna Black. I mean, I had been in the business for some years. It was after many world titles, many tag team championships, and many overseas trips. I don’t think Elayna Black has tasted or scratched the surface of where I was in my career to where I needed to take a break from it.”

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He pointed to the emotional fallout of stepping away from a profession that gave you identity and recognition.

“When you’re in it and you become successful like that, and everybody knows who you are—and then you stop—everybody still knows who you are. You’re not in it anymore, but they’re still asking, ‘When are you coming back?’ You wonder how to answer that.”

While acknowledging the mental toll the business takes, Booker warned Elayna about what she might face after her break.

“If I could give her any advice: I say stay on the horse, man. Keep it going, because you got momentum right now. Out of sight is out of mind. Time off is going to be your worst enemy trying to get back in this business. Once those calluses all heal up, and you try to get back… I’m just saying—if I was Elayna Black, I’d say damn it, I’m going to just keep grinding until I see there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.”

Elayna originally shared her update on X, saying she had filmed a 10-minute video to explain everything, but decided to simplify it for now.

“I originally had a 10 minute long video explaining where my head’s at, and maybe eventually I’ll post it but seems unnecessary for now. I’ll keep it short but I am going to be taking a break from wrestling for the foreseeable future. It’s no longer good for my mental health and I’ll never know if that love for it I once had will return if I don’t step away. I’m gonna take the rest of the year to take care of me and go from there.”

She also apologized to fans and promoters:

“I apologize to the fans and promoters who were looking forward to/booked my upcoming appearances. I hope you can understand. To my supporters, thank you -Brie/Elayna”

Following her WWE release in May, Elayna hit the indie scene again and even launched an OnlyFans. But in an earlier interview with Chris Van Vliet, she revealed that harsh online criticism weighed heavily—especially when people made unfair assumptions about her health.

“I feel like my work is one thing, because everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I grew up a wrestling fan. There were people I didn’t like and I didn’t know them as a person. I feel like you’re entitled to your opinion about my work. If you don’t like me as a wrestler, as a character, that’s fine.”

“When you come for me as a person and you start saying things that aren’t true, like the injury prone thing when you had no idea that I literally almost died, that’s where it’s like fck you, because you want to say all these things and expect me to be quiet because you don’t view me as a person.”*

Whether she’s gone for a few months or forever, Elayna Black made it clear—this decision was about protecting her health and finding clarity. And while Booker’s advice comes from a place of tough love, it also reflects how brutal and fleeting momentum in wrestling can be.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.