As six women clashed in the ring for the North American championship at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, probably no one expected to see Kelani Jordan emerge as the winner of the historic match. The NXT Battleground was a titillating affair, and Jordan proved why she’s considered one of the best talents in the WWE locker room right now. However, while fans bask in the glory of her latest achievement, let’s not forget her collegiate gymnastics career is just as stimulating.

When Michigan State’s Lea Mitchell was announced to kick off her wrestling career with NXT Level Up in 2023 as Kelani Jordan, many of her colleagues were sure she would go on to etch a name for herself in WWE as well. Now, as she celebrates her latest achievement, it would be the right time to remember how her gymnastics career with the Spartans was also a thriller in its own right.

According to an article by Wrestling Inc. from last year, Lea’s tryst with gymnastics was no poorer than her sensational run in the WWE. Mitchell is only the second-ever Michigan State gymnast to be bestowed with CoSIDA Academic All-American status, which she achieved in 2022. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Big Ten Conference Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award, making her the first Spartan to do so. During the period between 2020 and 2022, Mitchell co-captained the team thrice and has four Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors to her name as well.

Lea joined the Spartans roster in 2017 and racked up 23 event titles during her tenure with them. Justifiably, her colleagues and school were elated when Mitchell was offered a WWE contract in 2022, and they took to social media to wish her the best for her next venture.

With Kelani winning her first major individual title in the WWE, she is now hailed as a talent who has a promising future ahead. However, it wasn’t too long ago that she was considered to be a pro wrestler who had to walk a long road to the top.

Kelani Jordan’s time on the top has finally come

At the NXT Breakout Tournament last year, Kelani made it to the finals, but couldn’t win the ultimate prize. However, since then, she has been part of some incredible storylines as well as some thrilling matches with stars like Kiana James, Fallon Henley, and Lash Legend. While Jordan was projected as the underdog in almost all of these match-ups, she didn’t let the general perception bother her at all, Instead, she went ahead and embraced her image. “There’s so much beauty in being an underdog. The underdog is fueled by doubt. The underdog has been through adversity and always prevails. You can’t tell an underdog what they can and can’t do. Now it’s time to go get what’s mine.” said Kelani in a social media statement ahead of NXT Battleground.

Defeating five of the biggest NXT women at the moment, Kelani grabbed the opportunity by the scruff of its neck and justified the belief the WWE showed in her after her tryout last year. Now, as she looks to rack in even more titles in the coming days, tell us what you predict for her future. Share your opinion on Kelani in the comments below!