“Legit” Leyla Hirsch’s time with All Elite Wrestling appears to be officially over, as she was quietly removed from the AEW roster page on March 2nd. Reports indicate her contract expired at the end of March, marking the end of her run with both AEW and its sister promotion, Ring of Honor.
Hirsch last competed at ROH Final Battle 2024, where she challenged Red Velvet for the ROH Women’s Television Championship.
Speaking recently on The Soul Sessions podcast, the “Legit” one opened up about her exit from AEW and the challenges she faced throughout her tenure, especially following a significant injury.
Hirsch tore her ACL in 2022, an injury that sidelined her for over a year. According to her, things never felt the same once she returned.
“To be completely honest, my time in AEW was okay, but I didn’t achieve nearly as much as I hoped to—especially after coming back from the ACL injury,” Hirsch admitted. “I kept holding out hope, pitching ideas here and there. I’m not usually one to pitch things unless I truly believe in them, but I really wanted to tell my story of coming to the U.S. from Russia. That was supposed to be part of my angle with Kris Statlander, but it never came to fruition, and that was incredibly frustrating. I genuinely believe it could’ve elevated my career and benefitted the company.”
Hirsch also emphasized the effort she put into Ring of Honor, but noted that despite her dedication, there were limits to what she could control as a performer.
“I poured everything I had into Ring of Honor—energy, effort, all of it. But in the last few months, it felt like I was losing touch with the version of ‘Legit’ Leyla Hirsch that I knew I could be,” she said. “I tried to make the most of every opportunity, even when what we were given didn’t make sense. It just felt like, no matter how much I pitched or how hard I worked, it wouldn’t make a difference. That’s the hardest part—when you know you have more to offer but you’re not given the platform to do it.”
While reflecting on her time in AEW and ROH, Hirsch said one of the key takeaways was understanding just how much fans crave storytelling—something she felt was lacking in ROH.
“I learned a lot during my time there—good and bad. One thing that became clear is that fans really want stories,” she explained. “It was such a challenge in Ring of Honor to build those stories. We’d pitch ideas, but depending on who you were, it often didn’t matter. It’s discouraging when it feels like your efforts don’t make a difference, especially when you show up every week trying to make something happen.”
Hirsch praised the storytelling AEW is capable of, citing the current feud between Mariah May and Toni Storm as an example of what’s possible when creative investment is present.
“When AEW does storylines, they’re fantastic. Look at Mariah and Toni—they had a team behind them and a clear direction. For the rest of us, it sometimes felt like we were left to figure things out on our own.”
Despite her frustrations, Hirsch acknowledged that no company is perfect and gave credit to AEW President Tony Khan for juggling an immense workload.
Looking ahead, “Legit” Leyla Hirsch is scheduled to return to action during WrestleMania 41 Weekend, as she faces Jordan Blade at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport XIII in Las Vegas.
(H/T to Joseph Currier and F4WOnline.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
