Mara Sade Likely Heading to AEW - Wrestling Attitude

Former WWE NXT and TNA talent Mara Sade is reportedly on her way to AEW. According to Fightful Select, the 31‑year‑old is not expected to return to TNA after wrestling her final match for the company last week in Philadelphia — a bout that has yet to air. Her contract expired recently, and she worked last Friday’s event without a deal in place.

The report notes that TNA made an increased offer to keep her, but sources believe AEW has been preparing to make a move.

“Sources within All Elite Wrestling have been expecting that their company would make a play for her. Both sources in TNA and AEW expect her to end up in AEW.”

Sade’s Run in WWE NXT

Sade debuted for WWE NXT in August 2022 under the name Jakara Jackson. After working several live events, she transitioned to NXT Level Up and eventually appeared on NXT TV in June 2023. She was paired with Lash Legend early on and became part of the Meta‑Four faction alongside Noam Dar and Oro Mensah — the latter of whom has since appeared in Ring of Honor.

Despite never receiving an official main roster call‑up, Jackson did appear on an October 2024 episode of WWE SmackDown with Legend in a losing effort against then‑Women’s Tag Team Champions Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. The duo also competed in a four‑way tag team match at Crown Jewel the following month.

Transition to TNA and Indie Work

Legend and Sade began working select TNA dates as part of the WWE–TNA partnership before Sade was released from WWE in May 2025. She later signed a short‑term deal with TNA while also taking indie bookings.

With her TNA contract now expired and AEW reportedly preparing an offer, all signs point toward Sade becoming the latest addition to AEW’s women’s division.