Elayna Black pauses wrestling for mental health with CM Punk guidance

Former WWE performer Elayna Black, who wrestled as Cora Jade, said she is on an extended hiatus from in‑ring competition to focus on her mental health and that a phone conversation with longtime idol-turned-friend CM Punk helped her make the decision. Black announced the break in July and has canceled upcoming independent bookings, saying she intends to take the rest of 2025 away from wrestling.

On a recent appearance on the TMZ Sports Inside the Ring podcast, Black described weeks of agonizing back-and-forth before she decided to step away. "I knew I needed to take a break," she said, "I was just scared to do it because I didn't want to let anybody down. I was scared of the backlash. I was scared of letting down promoters who had already booked the show." She said she often puts other people's feelings ahead of her own, and that fear kept her from acting until she sought counsel from Punk.

Black said Punk, who she idolized as a child and now counts among her friends, listened and gave clear advice. "He told me, like, 'I don't owe anybody anything, and I don't have to stick in something that's no longer serving me,'" she recalled. She said hearing that from someone she respects...