Leyla Hirsch Reveals AEW Ghosted Her for Weeks Before Letting Her Go

Leyla Hirsch was part of the AEW family for the past few years, but it came to an end earlier this year after AEW chose not to re-sign her contract. In light of her departure, Hirsch has now revealed how things soured between her and AEW and how she was eventually ghosted.

While speaking on The Soul Sessions, Leyla Hirsch talked about how she felt before leaving AEW. She said she had a lot of mixed feelings because she was frustrated with how things were going. Her contract ended on the same day as her wedding, so there was already a lot happening in her life.

About six weeks before her contract ended, she tried to talk to Tony Khan. She didn’t want to talk about money or the contract itself, she just wanted to know if there was a plan for her if she stayed. She felt like she had been patient and done everything she was asked to do, but she wanted more chances to grow and prove her value.

“I had a lot of mixed emotions over the last couple of months because, as a performer, I was just very frustrated. When my contract was coming up—it actually ended on my wedding day—there was a lot going on. About six weeks before it expired, I went to talk to Tony. I didn’t even want to talk about the contract, I just wanted to ask, ‘Hey, if I stay, what would the plan be?’ Because I had been really patient, I did everything they asked of me, but I felt like I needed more. I wanted more. I wanted to show them the value I bring. That’s my thing—I want to prove my worth.”

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Hirsch didn’t get to talk to Tony Khan. Instead, she spoke with a lawyer and another person from AEW. That was the only conversation she had about her contract. It went well and was professional. She shared her honest thoughts, and they seemed to understand. She told them she wanted to stay, but she also needed to grow as a wrestler.

They told her she would hear back during the first week of February, but no one contacted her for weeks as they ghosted her. Then, less than two weeks before her contract ended, she was told that AEW wouldn’t be re-signing her. That upset her because she had asked for a meeting early so she could plan ahead, especially since she was also getting married.

“When I asked to speak with Tony, I guess someone told him what I wanted to talk about. So I never got to speak to him. I ended up talking to one of the lawyers and someone else about the contract. That was actually the only conversation we ever had, but it was a good one. It was very professional. I was very professional. I shared my frustrations, which were very valid, and they understood.

I told them I wanted to stay, but I also wanted to grow as a performer. I needed that. After that conversation, they told me I’d hear back during the first week of February. But I never heard anything. That was the frustrating part—they waited until less than two weeks before my contract ended to tell me they weren’t going to re-sign me. That was hard to deal with, especially because I reached out six weeks early, just so I could have a plan in place—especially since I was also getting married.”

Hirsch said she doesn’t know what was told to Tony Khan and hopes it wasn’t anything bad. Even though she has some guesses about why they didn’t keep her, she has no regrets. She said if she had just stayed quiet and accepted things, she might still be there, but that’s not who she is.

Leyla Hirsch said she stayed professional the whole time, even when it was hard. In the end, she’s proud of herself for always being willing to take risks and believe in herself.

“I’ll never know what was said to Tony. I hope it wasn’t anything negative, because I said everything you’d want to hear from a talent. But I think I can guess why they didn’t re-sign me. I won’t say it, but if I’m right, I still don’t regret anything. If I had been okay being complacent in AEW, I’d probably still be there. But I don’t regret any of it. It just sucks that after one conversation, I didn’t hear anything until that final call less than two weeks out. Still, I was professional the entire time—even when I had every right not to be. I’m always willing to bet on myself. That’s the biggest thing.”

Now that she’s a free agent, Leyla Hirsch is focused on the future. Even though her time in AEW ended without a real goodbye, she has no regrets. She’s more motivated than ever to show what she can do in the wrestling world.

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