Xelina Opens Up About ‘Weird Feeling Of Failure’ After WWE Release
Xelina opens up about her exit.
It was back in April 2026 that Xelina, f.k.a. Zelina Vega, and her husband, Malakai Black, were among the WWE talent exits in that round of cuts.
Xelina is now back on the independents, and she made an appearance on Busted Open to touch on her latest run with the sports entertainment company. She discussed her post-WWE ambitions and journey.
She added that one of her main goals does not change just because she is not with the company anymore. Xelina said there was a feeling of failure after the release because she felt like she would not be able to realize her dream of bringing a World Championship to the 9/11 Memorial to honor her late father.
“I always promised, I was like, ‘I’m gonna bring the World Title there (to the 9/11 Memorial to honor her late father). I’m gonna do this,’ and I made the promise back then which is also why I don’t like to tie the dream and his memory to just WWE because we watched ECW, we watched WCW, we watched WWF back in the day so, it isn’t tied to just that so I still feel like I have this promise to keep. I still feel like I have this other side, almost this reinvention of myself that I’m going to be doing because I don’t feel like it’s over yet just because I’m not with WWE anymore. It doesn’t end just because they say so. It feels like now is an opportunity to do it differently, you know? I don’t know what the journey looks like; I don’t know where I’m going to end up but, I do think that it’s something that I look forward to now because I’m gonna be honest… There was a time after the release where you go through a bunch of different emotions. But, I think a bit of failure came with that. Like a weird feeling of failure because I was like, ‘Damn, I don’t think I’ll ever get to do that — get to bring that World Title.” Xelina started getting emotional, then gathered herself and continued, “Ew, emotions. But, I don’t think that’s something that ends there. I feel like there’s so much more that I could do still…”
Thus far, Xelina has worked dates for House of Glory and PROGRESS. She’ll be headed to O.T.T. in Ireland in October.
If the quote in this article is used, please credit Busted Open with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.
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