Mandy Rose says her relationship with TNA’s Elayna Black has grown well beyond their time sharing a WWE locker room. The former WWE star described Black as being like a “little sister” to her while reflecting on the support she offered the Chicago native around Black’s 2025 departure from WWE.
The connection, Rose explained, began naturally when the two worked together under the WWE banner. It became especially meaningful when Black believed her time with the company could be coming to an end. Rather than waiting for the situation to unfold, Black contacted Rose in advance, seeking advice from someone who had already experienced a high-profile WWE release of her own.
Rose’s account of that conversation illustrates how quickly Black acted after sensing a possible change in her career. Rose said Black had a feeling she was going to be fired and reached out a week before it happened. Rose then helped arrange a conversation involving her management team, creating an opportunity for Black to move forward with professional representation immediately after leaving WWE.
“She was just on it from the get-go when she had a feeling that she was getting fired,” Rose said on Inside The Ring. “She called me prior, a week before, and she was right. I literally had the phone call set up for her. I called my team. I said, ‘Listen, this is who she is, blah blah blah,’ and they connected right afterwards. The rest is history.”
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For Rose, the story is not simply about a business introduction. It is about seeing someone she cared about take decisive action during a potentially difficult professional moment. Black’s post-WWE path has included a return to the independent circuit, the creation of an adult-content account as an additional revenue stream, and, in January 2026, the announcement that she had signed with TNA.
That sequence has placed Black in a position to continue building her wrestling career while also pursuing opportunities outside the ring. Rose, whose own WWE departure came in 2022, believes Black handled that transition effectively. She specifically praised Black’s willingness to make use of the audience and visibility she had already established.
“She’s done an incredible job,” Rose said. “I think that’s awesome that she looks up to me like that because we also had a lot of fun working with each other too. I always called her ‘little girl,’ so it’s kind of full circle. She really is like my little sister.”
A Friendship That Extended Beyond WWE
Wrestling careers are often defined by fast-moving changes: new television roles, releases, independent bookings, contract opportunities, and the constant need to adapt when a major promotion’s plans shift. Rose’s comments suggest that her friendship with Black provided a degree of familiarity and support amid that uncertainty.
Rose had previously navigated her own abrupt change in circumstances after leaving WWE in 2022. While every wrestler’s situation is different, that experience appears to have made Rose a trusted person for Black to call when she sensed that her WWE run could be nearing its conclusion. The timing is notable. Black did not wait until after her departure to begin thinking about what could come next; she sought direction before the decision was final.
That approach allowed Rose to help connect Black with her management team right away. Rose said Black “wasted no time,” a phrase that captures the practical side of their relationship. The personal bond mattered, but so did the ability to respond quickly with a plan.
Rose also made clear that their friendship was rooted in enjoyable experiences together at work, not only in the difficult period surrounding Black’s exit. Her nickname for Black, “little girl,” predated the recent developments, which is why Rose sees the “little sister” description as a full-circle moment rather than a label created solely by their business association.
Black’s Move From WWE To The Independents And TNA
Following her WWE departure in 2025, Black returned to independent wrestling. That move gave her a platform to remain active in the industry while determining the next phase of her career. The independent scene has long served as a place where wrestlers can rebuild momentum, develop their presentation, and reach audiences outside the structure of a single national promotion.
Black’s next major step arrived in January 2026, when she announced that she had signed with TNA. The signing positioned her within a promotion that has continued to add talent and provide a national stage for wrestlers looking to establish themselves in a new environment.
Rose’s remarks do not reveal any specific future creative plans for Black in TNA, and there is no need to assume what role she may ultimately occupy. What is clear is that Black entered TNA after staying active and acting quickly following her WWE exit. The transition reflects a broader reality for modern wrestlers: a departure from one company does not have to mean a pause in professional ambition.
For TNA, Black’s arrival brings in a performer whose career has already included WWE experience, independent work, and an understanding of how to build a public profile across multiple platforms. Her connection with Rose is not itself a TNA storyline or a guarantee of any particular direction, but it provides useful context for the network of support behind Black as she continues her run with the company.
Rose Supports Black’s Outside-The-Ring Business Decisions
Another part of Rose’s praise centered on Black’s decision to launch an adult-content account for supplemental income. Rose made a similar move before her own WWE departure, and she views it as a sensible business decision for performers who have already developed a following.
The issue is increasingly relevant in an industry where a wrestler’s work is no longer limited to televised matches, live events, and merchandise tables. Social platforms and subscription-based content have given talent additional ways to engage directly with audiences and create income that is independent of any one wrestling contract.
Rose’s position is straightforward: performers should make use of the opportunities available to them. In Black’s case, Rose believes she did exactly that.
“I feel like you need to work with what you have,” Rose said in reference to Black. “She’s a perfect example of someone who has done that. I got her with my management team right away. She wasted no time.”
Rose’s comments frame Black’s choice as part of a broader effort to take control of her career after WWE. That does not diminish Black’s wrestling goals or her TNA signing. Instead, it highlights the reality that many performers now manage careers with multiple professional components at once.
Black’s route has included wrestling on the independents, joining TNA, and pursuing outside income opportunities. Rose’s role, as she tells it, was to offer both encouragement and a useful connection at a pivotal point. It is a meaningful endorsement from someone who understands the challenges of a sudden WWE exit and the need to make informed decisions quickly.
What Rose’s Comments Say About Black’s Next Chapter
There is no indication from Rose’s interview that Black needed anyone to create her opportunities for her. On the contrary, Rose repeatedly emphasized Black’s initiative. The call before her WWE exit, the quick management connection, the independent return, and the eventual TNA signing all point to a wrestler determined to keep moving.
That is the quality Rose appears to admire most. Her “little sister” description is affectionate, but it comes alongside an unmistakable respect for Black’s willingness to take action. Rose helped where she could, yet Black was the one who made the call, pursued the next steps, and continued to build her career after a major change.
As Black’s TNA journey continues, the friendship with Rose remains a notable part of the story behind her transition. Their bond began in WWE, strengthened during a time of uncertainty, and now exists as Black moves forward in a different promotion. For Rose, seeing Black succeed appears to be both personally gratifying and evidence that preparation, relationships, and urgency can matter greatly when a wrestler’s path suddenly changes.
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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.