Following a wave of WWE releases on May 2nd that heavily impacted the NXT roster, comments reported from Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio regarding the potential reasons sparked pushback from two of the released talents, Gigi Dolin and Cora Jade. WrestleTalk shared a quote attributed to Meltzer from the May 4th radio show discussing the NXT cuts, suggesting internal perceptions played a role.
The reported quote from Meltzer stated, in part: “Many of those cut were perceived as not working hard in training. And if you don’t work hard in training, there’s so many people who do. And at this point, if the feeling is you’re not working hard in training – I saw the term ‘lazy’ – the ones who are lazy are gonna be gone, and the ones who didn’t stand out are gonna be gone.” Meltzer contextualized this within WWE’s evaluation process and the need to manage roster spots in the developmental system.
Gigi Dolin quickly responded to WrestleTalk’s post sharing the quote, strongly refuting any implication of a lack of effort on her part. She detailed her rigorous schedule, writing, “When I wasn’t traveling to work for either of the two companies I was working for, I trained very hard 3-4 days a week, bumping my ass off and doing cardio drills with one of the best/toughest coaches I’ve worked with. And worked out every single day. With live events every other weekend. So yeah I don’t wanna hear this lol. The way my body feels says otherwise.” Dolin had notably been making appearances for TNA Wrestling as part of a WWE partnership in addition to her NXT duties prior to her release.
This, plus can’t forget having to go to my own gym outside of work after “strength and conditioning” that wasn’t doing anything for me other than get me body shamed by my bosses, coworkers, and fans 🙂 crazy!
— Elayna Black (@CoraJadeWWE) May 4, 2025
Cora Jade (real name Brianna Coda, now using her pre-WWE name Elayna Black) echoed Dolin’s sentiment regarding training intensity but added a significant and concerning allegation. Responding directly to Dolin’s post, Jade wrote, “This, plus can’t forget having to go to my own gym outside of work after “strength and conditioning” that wasn’t doing anything for me other than get me body shamed by my bosses, coworkers, and fans 🙂 crazy!” Jade’s comment not only defended her work ethic but also alleged that the official WWE training environment was ineffective for her and involved body shaming from multiple sources within and outside the company. Both Dolin and Jade, considered promising talents in NXT, are now free agents subject to a 30-day non-compete clause.
