On-screen, Kelani Jordan appears to be probably the most confident stars on the “WWE NXT” star. As she admits, though, that faith in herself wasn’t all the time there.
Appearing on “No-Contest Wrestling,” Jordan revealed the moment that finally launched her self-esteem into the sky. “Being the first-ever Women’s North American Champion, I’ll say it was a really surreal moment. And truthfully, it was a confidence boost since it showed that [Shawn Michaels] believed in me to have the ability to hold a championship,” Jordan said. “Also, it did include quite a lot of pressure because I used to be very recent. I probably hadn’t even been wrestling like on TV possibly like a yr at the moment. I used to be very green. I’m still green, but I used to be super green, so I believe it was just an enormous confidence boost like hey they trust me with this title, now I actually have to begin believing in myself.”
Jordan’s milestone NXT Women’s North American Championship win got here at “NXT” Battleground in June 2024, only one yr after she debuted on “NXT” television. On the time, Jordan said she felt a combination of emotions, certainly one of which involved simply being pleased to be a champion. Alternatively, she felt pressure to set the bar for the brand recent title, which also was the first-ever mid-card singles title specifically geared for ladies in WWE history.
Jordan’s NXT NA Title reign went on to span 140 days, with successful title defenses over the likes of Sol Ruca, Wendy Choo, Wren Sinclair, and “WWE SmackDown” star Michin.
Jordan’s Mindset Shifted In Second Title Reign
In 2025, Jordan tasted gold once more when she captured the TNA Knockouts Championship by conquering a battle royal, then Lei Ying Lee at TNA Victory Road. This time around, Jordan still aimed to positively represent the title and the promotion attached to it. Compared to her first title reign, though, Jordan felt rather more comfortable in her position.
“Now I feel like my confidence has grown a lot,” she said. “After I won the TNA title, like yes, I still had pressure to hold across brands, but this time I felt like my mindset was like, ‘I’m good. I earned it.’ I worked hard. I am going the additional mile. I earned it. It’s not the Kelani Jordan that is like, ‘Oh, yay, woo. I’m pleased to be here.’ It’s like, hey, I earned this. I make the title. The title doesn’t make me, and I believe that is where my mindset switched between each title reign.”
While shorter than her run as NXT North American Champion, Jordan’s reign with the Knockouts Championship produced successful defenses over a wide range of TNA and WWE talents, including Jordynne Grace, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, and Heather By Elegance. Lei Ying Lee eventually unseated the previous Michigan State gymnast at “WWE NXT” Gold Rush when a spinning kick neutralized Grace and allowed Lee to cover Jordan for the win.
Since Gold Rush, Jordan has yet to receive a rematch for the title despite Lee putting it on the road against “NXT” star Zaria at TNA Genesis.
For those who use any of the quotes in this text, please credit “No-Contest Wrestling” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.