Jin Tala

Jin Tala
Personal information
BornLeigh Marie Laurel
(1995-11-11) November 11, 1995 (age 30)
Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Jin Tala
Lady Leigh
Leigh Laurel
Billed height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Billed weight145 lb (66 kg)
Trained byWWE Performance Center
Booker T
DebutDecember 19, 2024

Leigh Marie Laurel (born November 11, 1995) is an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder currently working on the Independent circuit under the ring name Lady Leigh. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed on the Evolve brand under the ring name Jin Tala.

Early life

Laurel was born in Columbia, Maryland on November 11, 1995. She is of Filipino and South Korean descent. Before signing with WWE, Laurel competed in bodybuilding competitions.

Professional wrestling career

WWE (2024–2025)

Laurel was announced as one of the participants of the first season of WWE LFG, where she was mentored by Booker T and was eliminated on the 12th episode. On the May 28, 2025 episode of Evolve, it was announced that Laurel had been signed to the Evolve brand under the ring name Jin Tala. She made her in ring debut on the June 4 episode of Evolve, where she faced Carlee Bright in a winning effort. On the July 7 episode of Evolve, Tala attacked WWE Evolve Women's Champion Kali Armstrong after a championship match against Natalya, establishing herself as a heel. On the August 6 episode of Evolve, she faced Armstrong for the WWE Evolve Women's Championship but was unsuccessful. On October 11, it was announced that Tala had been released from WWE. She wrestled her final match on the October 29 episode of Evolve, where she faced Masyn Holiday in a losing effort.

Independent circuit (2025–present)

On October 23, 2025, Beyond Wrestling announced that Laurel would make her debut at the Novembercanrana event on November 14, 2025 under the ring name Lady Leigh, where she defeated Kylie Alexa.

On the October 1, 2026, episode of ROH Wrestling, Lady Leigh made her Ring of Honor debut, where she lost to The IInspiration's Cassie Lee.

Personal life

Laurel is currently in a relationship with Ilja Rukober, known as Ilja Dragunov in AEW.

References

  1. 1 2 "Wrestledata". Saalbach, Axel. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Lady Leigh « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Kreikenbohm, Philip. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Wrestledata". Saalbach, Axel. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Meet The Cast of WWE LFG: Instagrams & Backgrounds". Torres, Joey. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Contests - 2019 contests - NPC Capitol Grand Prix - Leigh Laurel". .npcnewsonline.com. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Meet the Future Greats of WWE LFG: WWE LFG sneak peek". WWE.com. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Leigh Laurel Breaks Silence After WWE LFG Elimination". Upton, Felix. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Eliminated WWE LFG Star Signs With WWE EVOLVE". Lowson, Thomas. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  9. ↑ "WWE EVOLVE Results 6/4/25". Lopez, Joshua. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  10. ↑ "WWE EVOLVE RESULTS (7/9): Natalya vs. Kali Armstrong, Timothy Thatcher vs. Keanu Carver, Chantel Monroe vs. Masyn Holiday". Miller, David. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  11. ↑ "WWE EVOLVE RESULTS (8/6): Kali Armstrong vs. Jin Tala for Evolve Women's Title, Carlee Bright vs. Wendy Choo, Keanu Carver vs. Bryce Donovan". Miller, David. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Wes Lee, Stevie Turner & More WWE Releases From NXT, EVOLVE, LFG". Mango, Anthony. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
  13. ↑ "WWE EVOLVE Results: October 29, 2025". Mango, Anthony. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Lady Leigh (formerly Jin Tala) booked for Beyond Wrestling's Novembercanrana". Wannan, Jack. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Beyond Wrestling 11/14/2025 Novembercanrana Results". zerepwrestling. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  16. ↑ Lambert, Jeremy (October 1, 2026). "ROH TV Results (10/1): Eddie Kingston Competes". Fightful. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  17. ↑ David, J. P. (October 24, 2025). "Major announcement about Ilja Dragunov's real-life girlfriend Leigh Laurel aka Jin Tala following WWE release". Sportskeeda. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
  18. ↑ Ravens, Andrew (November 5, 2025). "Ilja Dragunov Confirms New Relationship With Former WWE Star". Newsweek. Retrieved January 8, 2026.