Who is Kelani Jordan? Meet the WWE NXT star with a historic win at Battleground

Kelani Jordan stunned fans when she became the inaugural WWE NXT Women's North American Champion at Battleground. She won a six-women ladder match to claim the first singles title of her career.

The 25-year-old star joined WWE in August 2022 after impressing during an audition in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a former gymnast who used her background in gymnastics at Michigan State University to enter the pro wrestling industry.

The 5"5 ft star trained at the Performance Center before making her WWE NXT debut in June 2023. She was the on-screen protege of former WWE star Dana Brooke until the latter's release in September.

The inaugural NXT Women's North American Champion's most significant early win came against Kiana James. She beat the new RAW star to advance to the Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline but didn't win.

Kelani Jordan made history by climbing the ladder and winning the title at Battleground. She defeated Sol Ruca, Lash Legend, Fallon Henley, Jaida Parker, and Michin despite being a rank outsider.

The young WWE NXT star was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, on October 22, 1998. She's dating SmackDown star Carmelo Hayes, whom she met at the Performance Center. Her Instagram handle is @kelani_wwe, and she has 82.9k followers, although this number will see a likely rise following her title win.

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"Your earned this moment"- Shawn Michaels praised Kelani Jordan after her WWE NXT Battleground win

NXT's Head of Creative Shawn Michaels congratulated Kelani Jordon on her NXT Women's North American Title win. The WWE Hall of Famer told the new champion that she deserved it with a post on X/Twitter:

"First-ever. History made at #NXTBattleground… and we’re just getting started! Congratulations to (Kelani). You EARNED this moment."

Kelani Jordan wasn't one of the favorites to win the title heading into the premium live event at the UFC Apex last Sunday. Given their status on weekly television, many expected either Lash Legend or Sol Ruca to prevail.

It will be interesting to see who Jordan's first defense is against as she starts her reign. Given that they are heels on the developmental brand, either Jaida Parker or Fallon Henley could be credible options.

Shawn Michaels appears to have high hopes for the new champion after the pulsating NXT Battleground PLE. The women's division looked stronger than ever, with Lola Vice beating Shayna Baszler in an NXT Underground Match. In an unprecedented crossover match, Roxanne Perez defeated TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace for the NXT Women's Championship.