JORDYNNE GRACE’S SURPRISE appearance on the May 28 edition of NXT was a stellar moment for TNA, as the Knockouts World champion boldly represented her brand once again—just as she and former Knockouts champ Mickie James had done at the 2023 and 2024 Royal Rumbles, respectively. “The Juggernaut” was presented as a star, nearly approaching Jade Cargill’s level, as she stood nose-to-nose with NXT Women’s champion Roxanne Perez.
While Perez didn’t give the slightest indication that she was intimidated by Grace’s imposing presence, she was nonetheless dwarfed by Grace, if we’re measuring by classic tale-of-the-tape comparisons. Given Perez’ own emotional insecurities over the past year or so—and the bitterness she’s displayed lately—it seemed that she was a vulnerable champion. That made Grace’s verbal challenge and their planned match at Battleground all the more intriguing.
The fact that Grace issued an open challenge for TNA’s upcoming Against All Odds pay-per-view, setting the stage for Grace-Perez II and other possible match-ups, made the WWE-TNA collaboration newsworthy and seemingly mystifying at the same time.
There was no downside for TNA; its main challenge has been finding visibility for its already formidable product. More interesting is the upside for WWE: The opportunity to scout and
