Lea Mitchell, a former Michigan State University gymnast, has a new WWE NXT ring name.
Mitchell is now known as “Kelani Jordan” on the NXT roster. On tonight’s NXT Level Up episode, she will make her debut against Wendy Choo.
Jordan was signed by WWE in August 2022 after working the SummerSlam tryouts in Nashville. Jordan competed on the Michigan State gymnastics team from 2018 to 2022. Jordan’s career as a Spartan at Michigan State University included 23 event victories, receiving the 2021 Big Ten Conference Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award (the first female MSU student to receive the award), being named a 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-Star, being a three-time co-captain of the MSU Women’s Gymnastics team, being a four-time Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Honoree from 2019-2022, and being a five-time
Jordan made her NXT debut in the Halloween Costume Battle Royal at the October 28 live event in Melbourne, FL, then teamed with Indi Hartwell to defeat Zoey Stark and Monika Klisara at the March 11 live event in St. Petersburg. Mitchell’s singles debut was a loss to Stark at the March 24 NXT live event, followed by a loss to Cora Jade at the April 14 NXT live event. Jordan, Roxanne Perez, and Valentina Feroz defeated Stark, Klisara, and Tiffany Stratton in a live event on April 15, followed by Jordan and Perez defeating Klisara and Kiana James in a live event on April 28.
Jordan, who also appeared as one of Grayson Waller’s Girls at Vengeance Day in February, has already gained a following among NXT locals and online fans. Fans reportedly booed her during Tuesday’s NXT TV tapings. You can see her related Instagram post, as well as another one, below.
Dante Chen will face Tavion Heights in tonight’s NXT Level Up episode, as will Edris Enofe and Malik Blade face Lucien Price and Bronco Nima. Spoilers can be found by clicking here.
