WWE NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan has detailed what she struggled to deal with in her early years in WWE.
Jordan, like many on the WWE NXT roster, transitioned from another sport to professional wrestling. having previously been a gymnast. He transferred many of his gymnastics skills to professional wrestling and found high jumps easy to do, but struggled to make his wrestling look realistic, as gymnastics had taught him to be perfect.
“So some things were a struggle, some things were easy, like body control, air awareness, things like that. High flying felt very natural and I wasn’t really afraid of anything. But wrestling, like you said, not being perfect because like gymnastics, you’re judged on a scale of perfection.Wrastlin’ with E & Matt“.
Jordan also highlighted other differences between wrestling and gymnastics, noting how wrestling requires working with another person. He also noted that wrestlers must respond to their surroundings, unlike in gymnastics, where he was taught to block out external distractions.
“But gymnastics is not a contact sport either. I don’t have to depend on anyone. I don’t have to touch anyone else, so that made a big difference. But also, even when it comes to talking in promos, for example, in gymnastics you’re taught to tune everyone out, whereas in wrestling you have to listen to the fans; what is said”.
Jordan’s transition from gymnastics to professional wrestling paid off as she captured the NXT Women’s Championship just three years into her wrestling career. She also held the NXT Women’s North American Championship and the TNA Knockouts Championship, making her one of WWE’s rising stars.
