Top AEW Star Inspired Cora Jade To Do Death Match

On August 23rd, 2020, Cora Jade crossed off an impressive bucket list item of hers. Performing under her prior ring-name of Elayna Black, Jade competed in a grueling death match against Jimmy Lloyd at GCW: Jimmy Lloyd's Jersey Shore. That bout turned out to be the only death match Jade would ever compete in (so far), but the inspiration behind it stemmed from a childhood hero of hers.

"I grew up a really big Jon Moxley fan before he became Dean Ambrose," Jade told Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman. During his initial independent run prior to signing to WWE, Moxley competed in a multitude of death matches, notably in Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), as Jade is well aware.

"I had this Jon Moxley five-disc set, and I grew up watching it, and I loved death match wrestling" she said. "I loved watching it, hardcore wrestling, loved all of it ... So I was like, 'One day, it's a bucket list thing. I'm going to do a death match. I'm going to do it once to say that I did it.' Which is what I did." 

Although Jade is proud she conquered the grueling stipulation, she also revealed that she "never wanted to do it again." However, the death match isn't the only hardcore contest Jade has ever competed in, as she recently returned to something resembling her violent roots when she took on her former best friend and tag team partner Roxanne Perez in a "Weapons Wild" at "WWE NXT: Halloween Havoc."