Jody Threat has explained the reasoning behind her decision to request and receive a release from TNA Wrestling, framing the move as a career-driven choice rooted in her ambitions to continue improving and to pursue a significant opportunity in Japan.
TNA confirmed in August that Threat had been granted her release. The Canadian wrestler has now addressed the departure in her own words, making clear that the decision was not presented as a retirement-minded move or a step away from the ring. Instead, Threat sees herself as being in a valuable stage of her career: physically healthy, still developing, and motivated to take on goals she believes need to be pursued now.
Threat said she personally approached TNA management about leaving the promotion and described the response as supportive.
“I went to the office and asked for my release. They were so kind to give it to me and very understanding.”
For more background on this topic, read Nic Nemeth Praises Leon Slater’s Future but Vows to Retain TNA World Title at Bound For Glory.
The key factor, Threat explained, is her desire to spend a substantial stretch of time in Japan. Rather than making a brief appearance or working a limited number of dates, she hopes to secure an arrangement that would allow her to live and train there for several months. Her vision includes intensive dojo training as well as regular matches, an experience she believes is important to completing the pro wrestling goals she has set for herself.
“The main reason is that I feel like I’m still getting better as a wrestler. My body still feels really good. There’s a few things on my pro wrestling bucket list that I really want to get done before I start declining.”
For Threat, the Japan goal is not simply about adding another destination to her résumé. She specifically connected the opportunity to her growth as a performer and to the standard she wants to reach in the ring. The prospect of entering a dojo environment, training at a demanding level, and wrestling frequently is central to what she is seeking as a free agent.
“One of those things is going to Japan for like a substantial stay, a few months hopefully, where I can go into the Dojo and train really, really hard and wrestle really, really hard.”
That objective helps explain why Threat felt a release was necessary. While she did not criticize TNA Wrestling or describe any conflict with the company, she acknowledged that she did not want contractual obligations to become an obstacle as she works toward finding the right international opening. In her view, becoming a free agent gives her the flexibility needed to pursue an extended Japanese stay when the opportunity becomes available.
“I just feel like for me to be satisfied with my pro wrestling career, I need to get this done in my current state. Unfortunately, with that being said, I didn’t want to create any sort of barriers to being able to do that. So I asked for my release, and I’m a free agent. I’m currently trying to work on an opportunity like that.”
Threat’s comments offer important context to a departure that could otherwise be read simply as another roster change. She is not describing a wrestler looking to slow down. Quite the opposite, Threat is targeting a period of concentrated work at a time when she believes her body can handle the grind and when she remains eager to advance her in-ring skills.
Japan has long represented a major destination for wrestlers who want to test themselves in a different training culture and match environment. Threat did not identify a specific promotion, dojo, or timetable for the opportunity she is pursuing. What she did make clear is that she is looking for something more substantial than a short visit. The aim is a months-long commitment that combines disciplined training with consistent competition.
That uncertainty means there is no confirmed Japan destination for Threat at this stage. Her status, however, is clear: she is a free agent and is actively working toward making that goal a reality. Until then, she has already found an immediate landing spot close to home.
Threat revealed that her first phone call after receiving her TNA release was to Scott D’Amore. D’Amore’s response was straightforward: “Come home.” Threat accepted the invitation, joining Maple Leaf Pro at a time when the promotion provides a natural fit for a Canadian wrestler looking to remain active while retaining the freedom to explore other opportunities.
“With that being said, my first phone call after my release was to Scott D’Amore saying, ‘I’m a free agent.’ He said, ‘Come home.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ I’m so happy to be here at Maple Leaf Pro. I feel like as a Canadian pro wrestler, it just makes sense. It’s exactly where I want to be.”
The connection carries obvious significance for Threat. Maple Leaf Pro gives her a prominent Canadian platform at the beginning of this new chapter, while her free-agent status leaves the door open for the international plans she has outlined. Her remarks also indicate that the move is about more than convenience. Threat views the promotion as a place where she belongs within the Canadian wrestling landscape.
Threat is already scheduled for in-ring action under the Maple Leaf Pro banner. At MLP Northern Rising, she will team with Alice Crowley against the duo of Kingsley and Alexia Nicole. The match will be one of Threat’s first notable assignments since her TNA exit was confirmed, and it gives fans an early look at where she stands as she begins operating outside the company.
While the Northern Rising bout is a tag team match, it also arrives at a meaningful moment for Threat individually. She has publicly laid out a plan based on evolution rather than comfort: remain active, seek harder training, wrestle at a demanding pace, and use her current physical condition to pursue experiences she believes will be essential to her long-term satisfaction in wrestling.
Her comments place the TNA release in that broader context. Threat did not suggest that she had accomplished everything she wanted to accomplish. She instead emphasized that there are still major items on her personal bucket list, with Japan at the center of them. The freedom to chase those items was worth making a difficult professional decision.
That perspective also makes the timing especially important. Threat believes she is still improving, and she sees herself as having the physical capacity to embrace a rigorous schedule. Rather than waiting for a later stage of her career, she wants to act while she feels capable of fully committing to an extended period of intensive training and wrestling.
TNA Wrestling’s willingness to grant the request allowed Threat to make that transition without presenting the situation as an acrimonious split. She specifically credited the company for being kind and understanding when she went to the office to ask for her release. That leaves the focus on what is ahead: her work with Maple Leaf Pro, the upcoming Northern Rising match, and the ongoing effort to secure the substantial Japan opportunity she wants.
For now, Jody Threat’s path is defined by possibility. She has a Canadian home in Maple Leaf Pro, an upcoming tag team bout alongside Alice Crowley, and the flexibility that comes with free agency. The larger destination has not yet been finalized, but Threat has made her priorities unmistakable. She wants to keep getting better, she wants to test herself in Japan, and she wants to pursue that challenge before the window she sees for it begins to close.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.