Jin Tala (Leigh Laurel) Comments On WWE Release: I’m Not Giving Up
Jin Tala has reacted to her WWE release.
WWE EVOLVE star Jin Tala, aka Leigh Laurel from WWE LFG, was one of several NXT wrestlers released by WWE in October 2025. A few days after her release, she would take to social media to reflect on her experience with WWE, acknowledge that she found her passion in professional wrestling, and share that she would not give up her journey just because her time in WWE had come to an end.
I have been trying to collect my thoughts & find the right words to address my recent release. Before WWE, I’ve 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.
Laurel had 17 matches total during her time in WWE. Fightful will continue to monitor her career and report any updates.
Another name released by WWE in October 2025 was Stevie Turner. She’s excited to once again be a wrestler after her time as an on-screen authority figure in WWE. Learn more about that here.
