Jin Tala isn’t pretending her WWE release killed her interest in ever going back. Quite the opposite. If WWE called tomorrow, she’d gladly listen — she just doesn’t want to return as the same wrestler who was released the first time.
While speaking to Women’s Wrestling Talk, Tala, whose real name is Leigh Laurel, made it clear that a WWE comeback remains firmly on the table. The difference is that she wants to earn her way back after sharpening every part of her game.
“If WWE were to call me back, I would, you know, gladly accept. But I think before I go back, I want to make sure that I’m, like, as prepared as possible.”
Tala already knows exactly what that means. Better promos. A stronger character. Better wrestling. She doesn’t want there to be an obvious weak spot if another major opportunity lands in her lap.
“I want to make sure my promos are sharpened. I want to make sure my character is sharpened. I want to make sure my wrestling is sharpened.”
There’s also a pretty straightforward reason she doesn’t want to rush back. She already knows what getting released feels like. Going through all the work required to return only to wind up right back outside the company isn’t something she wants to repeat.
“Because I don’t want to go back there just to be released again.”
Tala knows there are no guarantees. Wrestlers get released, plans change and being under contract today doesn’t necessarily mean being there tomorrow. She just wants to give herself a much better shot at sticking around if WWE ever opens that door again.
“Like, I know it’s bound to happen to everybody. I get that, but let’s not have that happen right away, okay? I want everything to be sharpened.”
That doesn’t mean she’s sitting around waiting for WWE to call either. Tala’s bigger goal is becoming someone who can be thrown into the ring with virtually anybody without needing the perfect opponent or situation to make things work.
“I want to be able to wrestle anybody. Like, I want to be able to be put in there with anybody and be able to have a good match.”
WWE also isn’t the only name on her list. Tala specifically brought up AEW and TNA while explaining the level she wants to reach, because wherever the next call comes from, she wants to know she can walk onto television and deliver immediately.
“So that way, if I get a call from WWE, if I get a call from AEW, if I get a call from TNA, wherever, I know that I can be put on TV and I can perform.”
That’s a pretty different place from where Tala found herself in October 2025. After WWE released her from its developmental system, she admitted she questioned whether she simply hadn’t developed quickly enough or whether the company just didn’t see the same potential she saw in herself.
“Maybe it came down to timing, did I break down those walls quick enough? Maybe I was just an unrecognizable name on a list, or maybe they just don’t see what I see in myself. I’m not giving up. Jin Tala may be no more. But Leigh Laurel has always been a fighter.”
Nearly a year later, that position hasn’t changed. Tala would gladly go back to WWE, but simply getting another contract isn’t enough for her. She wants to make sure that if WWE — or AEW, TNA or anyone else — gives her another major shot, she arrives considerably more prepared to make it stick.
Would you like to see Jin Tala get another opportunity with WWE, or would AEW or TNA be a better next stop for her? Let us know in the comments.
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