Elayna Blackâs time in âWWE NXTâ as Cora Jade may not have worked out entirely as she hoped, given the promotion released her earlier this year. But one positive to come from her time there was that she got to interact a ton with CM Punk. Punk returned to WWE during the middle of Jadeâs time there, a huge moment for Jade given that she had grown up a huge fan of both Punk and his wife, AJ Lee.
Appearing on âInsight with Chris Van Vleet,â Jade revealed just how deep her Punk fandom ran, so much so that Punk himself even knew of her well before the time they met again in âNXTâ back in late 2023.
âHe was coming to âNXT,â and that was the first time I had seen him since I was a fan,â Jade said. âBut he remembered me, because anytime he would do anything in Chicago, because I lived in Chicago and so did he, I would be the first in line for every single thing. Borderline crazy now that Iâm thinking about it. I probably scared him. Probably, like, ten times I was there. It got to the point where he would remember me in the line, and he would laugh at me, because I would be first in line, every single time. We laugh about it now. Iâm like âJesus Christ, I was a little bit crazy back then.'â
Jade Reveals How Punk Helped Her And Other NXT Talents
The meeting eventually led to Jade and fellow âNXTâ star Roxanne Perez developing a close friendship with Punk. But the bond between the three extended back into the squared circle, where Jade says Punk became an important mentor to both her and Perez, even going the extra mile to watch their performances when it was inconvenient for him.
âI just was constantly just asking him for advice, and Roxanneâs my best friend, so the three of us just became pretty close,â Jade said. âLike, he would just help us. Whether it was with promos, matches, he would just come to our shows for âNXT,â just to watch us, give us advice, and then leave. And peopleâŠhe would do that for anyone who would ask. I even saw him doing it with Grayson Waller one day, randomly. Just anyone who asked, heâs there. And heâll watch and heâll critique and heâll be there.
âAnd itâs just so cool to see someone of that caliber be so humble and willing to help. Literally, heâd come to one of the âNXTâ shows when he has WrestleMania later in the day. He came to watch me and Roxanne on the pre-show of Stand & Deliver. And he was main eventing WrestleMania later that night. I was like âYou donât have to be here,â and he came to watch us, watch our match, and then he left. I was likeâŠitâs ridiculous.â
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit âInsight with Chris Van Vlietâ and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription