Kelani Jordan won a six-woman ladder match at NXT Battleground on Sunday to become the inaugural NXT women’s North American champion.
Jordan, Fallon Henley, Lash Legend, Sola Ruca, Jaida Parker and Michin competed in Sunday’s contest after going through a rigorous qualification process.
It all started with a combine at the WWE Performance Center, which saw the top 12 performers in various athletic activities move on to compete in a series of six qualifying matches.
In the qualification bouts, Ruca beat Izzi Dame, Legend defeated Ivy Nile, Henley took down Thea Hail, Parker got past Brinley Reece, Michin outlasted Tatum Paxley and Kelani Jordan downed Wren Sinclair.
The creation of the Women’s North American Championship was announced at NXT Stand & Deliver in April, and it was met with great excitement since it essentially marked the first midcard singles title ever in a WWE women’s division.
Compared to most other pro wrestling companies and brands, NXT consistently places a strong emphasis on women’s wrestling, and the introduction of a new title spoke to the importance of the women’s division to NXT’s success.
In the weeks following the announcement of the title, NXT general manager Ava noted that the first women’s North American champion would be determined in a ladder match.
It was a fitting decision since the first North American champion in the men’s division was decided in a ladder match won by Adam Cole at TakeOver: New Orleans in 2018.
That win launched Cole to superstardom, as he went on to become one of the most successful NXT Superstars of all time, and Sunday’s win could potentially do something similar for career.
Sunday undoubtedly marked the biggest win of Jordan’s WWE career to date, as she is a singles champion for the first time and now earmarked to possibly become NXT women’s champion in the future.