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WWE NXT star Kelani Jordan entered the women’s Royal Rumble match as the 27th entrant in the match, hoping to win the event and book a ticket to WrestleMania 42.
Jordan didn’t end up winning the game, but made a huge impact. She went to the top and hit a Phoenix Splash. She was then able to showcase her gymnastic stylings in the ring as she took down Bayley, Liv Morgan, Jacy Jayne and Raquel Rodriguez.
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AJ Styles during Royal Rumble The Dome at America’s Center on January 29, 2022. (Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)
WWE cameras caught Jordan talking to AJ Styles backstage. The video showed Styles whispering something in Jordan’s ear. Jordan later praised Styles as his mentor.
“AJ Styles is amazing, I mean, phenomenal. But he was someone when I was literally, maybe like two or three months into the Performance Center and I was working out and I remembered he happened to be there,” she told Pakinomist Digital. “He was actually in the ring and working with me and training with me. I was so new and I remember him telling me early on — just two or three months in — he was like you’ve got something special, keep going, believe in yourself and just keep pushing yourself. He’s like, you’ve got something special and it was very early so he could see me when I was only two or three months in and it was like I was in a crazy moment.
Kelani Jordan steps into the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on January 13, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. (Conor Kvatek/WWE via Getty Images)
“After the Rumble, he just mentioned how proud he was of me, how I kept my foot on the gas, I kept pushing, I didn’t let anything stop me, and I took the risk. The Phoenix Splash was something I questioned, should I do it, should I go for it? This is a big stage. What if it doesn’t go well? And I remember him saying to me, without you liking it, there’s a risk. for the stars. And then it went well, and I remember him telling me you never forget you never believe in yourself because you can do it.
Styles lost to Gunther at the Royal Rumble, forcing his retirement.
Celebrating a long career on “Monday Night Raw,” The Undertaker appeared and told Styles that he would be part of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
AJ Styles will enter the arena at WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on April 3, 2022. (Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)
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For Jordan, she put in a valiant effort to defeat Lola Vice in an underground match at NXT Vengeance Day. However, Vice got a handle on her.
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