At the Victory Road 2025 event tonight, Kelani Jordan became the new Knockouts Champion, marking a historic milestone as the first active WWE female wrestler to capture a TNA title. This achievement highlights Jordan’s rising prominence in professional wrestling and adds a significant chapter to her career.
Title Vacancy and Battle Royal Set the Stage for Jordan’s Victory
Earlier in the evening, Knockouts Champion Ash By Elegance announced her retirement from in-ring competition and voluntarily surrendered the title, leaving the championship vacant. Following this, Santino Marella introduced a battle royal to determine the finalists for the Knockouts Championship. Kelani Jordan and Léi Yǐng Lee emerged as the last two competitors, earning their places in the title match later that night.
Jordan’s Historic Win Over Léi Yǐng Lee and Upcoming Challenges
In the main event of the evening, Kelani Jordan defeated Léi Yǐng Lee to claim the Knockouts Championship. By doing so, Jordan became the first active WWE-contracted female talent to hold a TNA title, joining Trick Williams, who previously held a TNA championship while on WWE’s roster. Special guest referee Indi Hartwell expressed her dissatisfaction over the title returning to NXT and is scheduled to face Jordan at the Bound For Glory pay-per-view.
In addition to her current success, Jordan is also a former NXT Women’s North American Champion, reinforcing her reputation as an accomplished competitor.
Rob Van Dam’s Support Shows Industry Confidence in Jordan
This year, during the NXT 2300 show, Kelani Jordan shared a backstage segment with WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam. Later, in an interview with B4 The Bell, Van Dam publicly offered his support and interest in managing Jordan, highlighting the respect she has earned among wrestling veterans.
“Kelani Jordan. I’m on board. We did a really cool little backstage vignette in November or December when I was at NXT for a second.We both did the splits across the chairs, facing each other. So that’s my answer—I’ll be her manager.” – Rob Van Dam
Looking Forward: Impact on Knockouts Division and Future Matches
Kelani Jordan’s victory is significant in bridging WWE and TNA talent, raising the profile of both promotions’ women’s divisions. With a match against Indi Hartwell already announced for Bound For Glory, fans can expect intense competition ahead. Jordan’s continued success could influence how active wrestlers manage dual roles across different wrestling organizations.
