TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace recently explained her expectations and reaction to her surprise appearance in this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match which took place this past Saturday (Jan. 27). The Royal Rumble match is always full of returning and surprising entrants. This year was no different, but the women’s Royal Rumble match may have been the most surprising ever.
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This year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match included the current TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace who entered at number five. This is a pretty major moment considering Grace is not only under contract to a different promotion, she’s also that same promotion’s top champion of the women or Knockouts division. Grace was recently asked by The Ten Count’s Steve Fall with WrestlingNewsCo what it felt like to come out during the Royal Rumble. She stated the following:
“It was completely unbelievable. I’m still beside myself a few days later just that it all happened. Honestly, I had low expectations because I don’t know that that many people know me. I don’t know the crossover of TNA like WWE fans. So I was just like if I go out and there’s no reaction that’s okay. Just get in the ring and make sure that there’s a reaction afterwards. Make sure that if they don’t know you now, they’re going to know you later. So that was my whole thought process behind it.”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
CURRENT TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION JORDYNNE GRACE REIGNITES TNA RIVALRY WITH NAOMI IN A WWE RING
Champ Jordynne Grace wasn’t the only wrestler from TNA in the ring. Naomi, who made her return to the WWE in that match in the number two spot, was in the ring waiting for Grace. The two women last met in the ring at the TNA Hard To Kill premium live event just days earlier, where Grace was able to dethrone Naomi, who went by Trinity in TNA and was able to regain her TNA Knockouts World Championship.
The two stars initially embraced in the middle of the ring just before they started beating on each other. Grace was eventually eliminated by Bianca Belair, but she put in a great performance. Jordynne Grace explained that her inclusion into the Royal Rumble match all came together in less than a week. She continued during her interview with Steve Fall:
“So Scott [D’Amore, TNA president] actually called me last Sunday, the weekend before and he had asked me if I would be okay with being in it. And I was just like, you know, obviously. So I found out just that week, it was a very kind of a, I guess a last minute thing, and I had just gotten back from the Orlando TNA taping. So I just like landed back home in Atlanta [when she was asked about appearing at the Rumble].”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Even though Naomi is now a part of WWE again, Grace unfortunately is not. The fans seemed to really like her and no way WWE didn’t take notice. We just may see her in the WWE in the not-too-distant future.
Grace is a pretty well-known name outside of WWE. In 2018 she signed TNA/IMPACT and she started to gain notoriety. She was thrust into championship opportunities early in her time with TNA, but she failed to win the TNA Knockouts World Championship until early 2020. Since then she has won the championship three times and is the current champion.
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Grace is known as an absolute powerhouse. She has competed in powerlifting and bodybuilding. Her power was shown in the Royal Rumble, but it was easy to miss just how strong she is in a chaotic match like that.
Grace’s star is on the rise and with her WWE appearance it will only grow. Even though she is making a pretty good name for herself not everyone was familiar with her in WWE. This includes one of the commentators during the Royal Rumble event.
Pat McAfee recently admitted on The Pat McAfee Show that he had no idea who Jordynne Grace was when she came out during the Royal Rumble match. McAfee stated on Grace:
“There were some people that came out; I had no idea who they were. I had no clue. I was looking over at the trons, and I’m like, ‘What’s the name here? What’s the name here?’ And [Michael] Cole and Corey [Graves] are like, ‘Oh my!’ And I’m like, ‘Oh yeah. Oh my. Oh yeah.’ Then I was like ‘oh this person doesn’t wrestle for WWE? No? Like not at all? No they’re somewhere else. Ok sweet’
“Jordynne Grace, I had no clue who that was. As I was going through Gorilla to get up and out … I see her, and I’m like, because she had a title around and she was facing away, I’m like, ‘Holy f**k. Who is jocked, absolutely jocked?’ Then I come out there, and they’re like, ‘TNA Knockouts Champion.’ It’s like, ‘Holy s**t.'”
H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
WILL WWE HAVE FUTURE CROSSOVERS WITH TNA?
This was not the first time the “forbidden door” has been opened by WWE and has brought a TNA wrestler over to WWE for the Royal Rumble. In the 2022 Royal Rumble, Mickie James who was the Knockouts World champion at the time entered the match. Hopefully, this will become a regular thing with TNA and other promotions.
What did you think of Jordynne Grace’s performance in the Royal Rumble? Did you recognize her theme and her when she first appeared? Do you think Pat McAfee should be more familiar with non-WWE wrestlers in the future since taking on a commentary role? What other women from TNA would you like to see appear in WWE? What about the men’s division? Let us know on social media what wrestlers from WWE you would like to see appear in TNA and who you want to see them face.
SOURCE: Wrestling Inc., WrestlingNewsCo, Wrestling Inc., Pat McAfee Show, Wrestling Inc.
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