Ex-AEW Star Beyond Frustrated With Nonsense Creative

A former AEW star has explained why their time in the company ended up being “beyond frustrating” thanks to creative that made no sense.

Leyla Hirsch left AEW at the end of February 2025 when her contract with the company came to an end. Hirsch made her debut for the company in October 2020 before officially becoming All Elite the following March.

The Russian star was initially a regular presence across AEW television, but her momentum took a hit when she sustained a torn ACL in early 2022. After being out of action for over a year, Hirsch returned in July 2023 and was mostly used in Ring of Honor from that point forward.

And it seems Leyla Hirsch wasn’t thrilled with how her career in Tony Khan’s company panned out.

Leyla Hirsch Tried To Pitch AEW Ideas

Speaking with the Soul Sessions, Leyla Hirsch discussed her time in AEW and admitted it didn’t work out as she hoped:

I’m going to be really honest because I’m a very honest person, I think my time in AEW was decent. I didn’t accomplish half the stuff I would have liked to, especially coming back from an ACL injury. I kept having hopes and hopes. I would pitch stuff. I would rarely pitch things, because I’m not like that. But if I did, it’s because I think it was something that was worth it.

So the one thing I pitched to Tony [Khan] was telling my story of coming here from Russia. And just, you know what I mean, because that was my story with [Kris] Statlander that never — I never got to see it through, which was so frustrating. Because it’s something I know that would have really elevated my career, and also I think it would have definitely done good for the company.

I feel like I put so much effort into Ring of Honor, so much energy. And the last couple of months, I just feel like, this is where I say there’s so much that we don’t control. And I can just say as a performer, like, I tried my best. I try to pitch stuff. I try to work well with whatever is given to us, even at sometimes it made no sense and it was beyond frustrating. That’s the one thing I will just say, I feel like I was losing the performer I knew I was capable of being.

I didn’t feel like I was ‘Legit’ Leyla Hirsch. And that’s the most frustrating part. So when people like criticize AEW or Ring of Honor, I think to a certain extent, I can understand. Some fans, or like just some people, they can see what’s happening, you know? And no company is perfect. No company is ever perfect. Tony has a million things that he’s doing, that he’s orchestrating, right?

Former AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May could also be on her way out of AEW and it seems WWE is waiting in the wings to add The Glamour to its roster.