Door opens for Elayna Black as area star signs with NXT
By Mike Pankow
January 20, 2021
What a great birthday present for Chicago-area native Elayna Black.
Black, who turned 20 last week, was signed to NXT, it was announced Wednesday on the WWE developmental company’s Twitter account.
Elayna Black, left, with tarot card in hand, wrestles Kylie Rae at Freelance Underground’s “We’re Just Getting Started” on Feb. 8, 2020 in Joliet. Black has signed a contract with NXT, WWE’s developmental brand based in Orlando, Fla. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
Black has been rechristened as Cora Jade and will make her debut in the Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic along with fellow signee Gigi Dolin (aka Priscilla Kelly). They will face Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell of The Way faction in a first-round match.
“Where I’m meant to be. Thank you,” Black tweeted shortly after the news broke.
Black, from the Southwest Suburbs and graduate of Plainfield South High School, has been wrestling professionally for just a little over two years, mostly on the Chicago scene, but has really branched out in the last several months.
Black was trained at the Freelance Wrestling Academy by Bryce Benjamin and Isaias Velazquez. She wrestled primarily for Freelance Wrestling, Freelance Underground and Zelo Pro in the area, but has also worked Warrior Wrestling, AAW, Berwyn Championship Wrestling, Black Label Pro, Galli Lucha Libre, Kaiju Attack Wrestling, RISE, SHIMMER and ZOWA.
She debuted on Dec. 9, 2018 in a mixed tag team match in a losing effort with Pariah as her partner against Jesus Bryce (one of Benjamin’s characters) and Ernesto Aguilar (aka WarBear) at Kaiju Attack Wrestling at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora.
Black had a singles match against Havok for IMPACT Wrestling at Prelude To Glory on Oct. 18, 2019 in South Bend, Ind. She also wrestled twice on AEW Dark in Jacksonville, Fla., losing to Red Velvet in singles action and falling in tag team action with “Legit” Leyla Hirsch to Velvet and Brandi Rhodes. Her impact already has been noticed as Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked her No. 99 in the PWI Women’s 100 last year.
Black was also an extra at an NXT live TV taping in the fall of 2019 after earning the opportunity in a WWN Seminar/Tryout in the Chicago area.
Around Chicago, she wrestled local standouts such as Zelo Pro Women’s Champion Laynie Luck, Kylie Rae and Missa Kate in multiple companies and frequently teamed with Blair Onyx as the Sisters of Destruction.
Last summer, Black even competed in a crazy deathmatch against Jimmy Lloyd for Game Changer Wrestling. She also debuted for Warrior Wrestling and won a singles match over Dan the Dad. She also defeated Skye Blue in her debut at AAW last fall.
Elayna Black at Zelo Pro: Wrestling on Weed St. during a match against Laynie Luck in April 2019. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
Other Chicago-area talents have been gushing through their reactions on social media.
“Cementing their spot as Chicago top trainers @DazeZhaVoo (Velazquez) and @JesusBryceWalks (Benjamin) are creating a proven track record that are leading their students to success,” tweeted local veteran wrestler Robert “Ego” Anthony. “The @FreelanceWres’ schools newest contracted wrestler @ElaynaBlack. Elayna put in the hard work and it paid off. Congrats!”
Promoters were also very excited about the news.
“Incredible talent and even better person! Congratulations @ElaynaBlack,” tweeted Zelo Pro promoter Matt Bacaling.
Black will attempt to follow the footsteps of other Chicago-area wrestlers, who’ve gone to NXT and even the WWE main roster with various degrees of success – names such as Kalisto, Aiden English (Drama King Matt Rehwoldt), David Otunga and Scarlett.
It remains to be seen whether Black will retain any aspects of her “Sorceress of Sin” character she portrayed around Chicago, but it sure seems like she is the fast track to success with her new contract with NXT.
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every week with Chris Lanuti on The Windy City Slam Podcast, broadcasting live on the Podbean app at noon every Monday with the podcast available Monday evenings/Tuesday mornings wherever you download podcasts or at https://windycityslam.podbean.com/.
We are looking for guests to appear on the Windy City Slam Podcast! Please contact Mike at mikepankow@windycityslam.com, message him on Facebook or DM him on Twitter.
