Kelani Jordan found quick success in "WWE NXT" as she captured the NXT Women's North American Championship less than a year after her on-screen debut. It wasn't until Jordan dropped her happy-to-be-here attitude, though, that she elevated to the next level.During a recent interview with "Casual Conversations," Jordan explained how her new-found killer instinct and self-vouching led her to greater heights in "NXT," specifically the NXT Women's Championship."It was super frustrating [not getting an NXT Women's Title shot]," she said. "I've literally done all of this, and it was almost like I was patiently waiting on my turn and that's when I realized, okay, there's no more being nice and waiting in line because that's how you get passed by. So, it was very annoying and very frustrating when I never got a chance for the NXT Women's Championship. I know people like to say, 'Oh, well, you got a chance for a chance.' I'm like, 'No, but all I need is the big one.' I don't need a chance for a chance. I just need the chance and I'll get it done. Not two tries, one. One try."As Jordan alluded to, despite her veteran status and previous mid-card title reign, she never received a televised NXT title shot until "NXT" Heatwave in August 2026. There, the former gymnast challenged Kendal Grey, who had captured the Women's Championship mere months into her full-time "NXT" run. Nevertheless, Jordan maximized her first opportunity to the fullest extent, nailing the defending champion with a split-legged moonsault to cement the title change.
When it comes to her confidence on the microphone, Jordan credited WWE's partner promotion, TNA Wrestling, for helping to boost it."The reason why I say when I went to TNA and when I was champion for TNA is because, in TNA, we would film lots of shows in one day at times. So I honestly didn't have time to really think about what I was going to say," Jordan said. "Sometimes I would just go out there and talk and whatever just came off the dome or on the fly or maybe react to what the fans are saying or when I was in the ring doing the contract signing with Indi [Hartwell], I just talked. It was literally just me. I remember my mom said, 'You sounded so relaxed. You just sounded like you were just talking like me.' And I'm like, 'That's because I was. I was just talking.' I think then is when it really turned for me."Coming from a broadcasting background, Jordan noted that she'd been trained to talk in a prim and proper manner while simultaneously projecting her words. Repeated reps in TNA, however, allowed her to bring out a more natural tone, one that she's now carried over into "NXT."Jordan made her TNA debut in a battle royal at Victory Road in September 2025. The same night, she went on to capture the vacant TNA Knockouts World Championship by defeating Lei Ying Lee (fka WWE's Xia Li).Jordan's KO Title reign spanned two months, during which she regularly competed on both "NXT" and TNA programming. Her successful title defenses included victories over Jordynne Grace, Indi Hartwell, M By Elegance, and Heather By EleganceIf you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Casual Conversations" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
