Jin Tala (Leigh Laurel) has commented on her WWE release.
Tala was one of several WWE NXT and ID talents, including Wes Lee and Steve Turner, that departed the company recently. She first debuted on WWE programming as a cast member on WWE LFG before starting on EVOLVE in May.
Tala wrote on Instagram:
“I have been trying to collect my thoughts & find the right words to address my recent release. Before WWE, Ive been a jack of all trades with many hobbies but couldn’t settle on one thing… was always missing that flame of passion.
With contract in hand, I kept thinking “What if… what if this was what I’ve been missing?”
I found my passion and I was all-in. I wasn’t just fascinated by the physical aspects of pro wrestling, what hooked me was the psychology… the emotions that can be expressed by wrestlers & felt by the audience.
So for those questioning my commitment, dedication… I can say with a hand on my heart that I didn’t falter. I knew I had weak points, so I put 110%, fed myself with knowledge from my coaches & main roster talent who came through the pc.
And in the past month, I saw it… & I think everyone saw it. I broke down some of those big walls I had failed to break during LFG. My promos were showing range because I finally let go… My move set I recently developed in the ring showed aggression, everything the Legends were looking for. And I was able to showcase that in recent matches. And for me… that was a win.
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. At the end of the day, the only person I have to prove my worth to is me. I’m not giving up, Jin Tala may be no more. But Leigh Laurel has always been a fighter.“
Tala’s last match was a loss to Tyra Mae Steel on an NXT house show in Gainesville, Florida on October 4. Her last match for EVOLVE was taped in July, where she lost a shot at the EVOLVE Women’s Championship to Kali Armstrong.
On Saturday, Bryan Alvarez told his subscribers on X that the recent roster cuts were not related to budget cuts, but rather to keep spots open in the system. He noted that WWE has over 130 talent in the system and if they feel someone is not progressing, or isn’t going to make it to the main roster, they will be cut to make room for new talent.
Tala’s post is available below:
