AEW has let go of several top talents this year, but one former star recently expressed her frustration over the manner of her departure.
"Legit" Leyla Hirsch signed with AEW in early 2021 but never found much success with the promotion. She fared better in ROH but ultimately departed Tony Khan's companies earlier this year.
Speaking on Soul Sessions, the Russian-born star revealed that her contract expired on her wedding day. Although she wanted to speak with Tony Khan before she left, that didn't end up happening:
"When my contract was coming up, it actually ended on my wedding day. There was a lot going on. I went six weeks prior to my contract ending to have a talk with Tony. I didn't even want to talk about the contract. I just wanted to talk, 'Hey, if I stay, what would be the plan?' I had been so patient and had done everything that was asked of me, but I felt that I needed and wanted more. I wanted to show them the value that they haven't had in me there. I want to prove my worth."
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Hirsch then claimed that, while she didn't get to speak with the AEW president, she did talk to one of the company's lawyers about her contract. She felt it was a good discussion but ultimately didn't hear anything back:
"When I asked to talk to Tony, I guess somebody told him what I wanted to talk to him about. I never ended up talking to him. I ended up talking to one of the lawyers and somebody else about my contract. This was the only conversation I had, and it was a really good talk. It was very professional. I let them know my frustrations, which were very valid, and they understand and know. I just told them, 'I want to be here, but I want to grow as a performer. I need to grow as a performer being here.' We had a good talk, and I felt good about it. They told me I would hear from them in the first week of February. Ultimately, I didn't hear anything from them." [H/T Fightful]
Leyla Hirsch is excited about the future despite AEW exit
At 28 years old, "Legit" Leyla Hirsch still has a lot of gas in the tank and is looking to prove her value in the wrestling industry. But Hirsch has plenty to look forward to outside the ring, as well.
As revealed above, Leyla Hirsch departed AEW on her wedding day. Following her nuptials, she posted photos of the wedding on Instagram and expressed her excitement for the future:
"This past month has been crazy to say the least. On February 28th, 2025, I finally got to tie the knot and marry my forever person. I am beyond grateful for all of the people that were there to celebrate with us. I am extremely excited to see what comes next for us. I love you, Jordan Haykin-Hirsch❤️," read Hirsch's post.
Before she left AEW and ROH, Hirsch had been climbing the ladder and competing for title shots. Whether she gets a better opportunity in free agency remains to be seen.
