Michigan State Gymnast Lea Mitchell Debuts as Kelani Jordan on WWE NXT Level Up



by ATIA MUKHTAR

Michigan State Gymnast Lea Mitchell Debuts as Kelani Jordan on WWE NXT Level Up
Michigan State Gymnast Lea Mitchell Debuts as Kelani Jordan on WWE NXT Level Up

Former Michigan State gymnast Lea Mitchell is slated to make her televised in-ring debut on "WWE NXT Level Up" this Friday, performing under the ring name Kelani Jordan. In her first appearance on WWE programming, she will face off against Wendy Choo in a match recorded after the recent "WWE NXT" episode at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

Mitchell signed a WWE contract in August 2022, following a successful tryout in Nashville, Tennessee, before SummerSlam. Over the past few weeks, Mitchell has participated in several "NXT" house shows, with her latest bout occurring on April 28 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Teaming up with former "NXT" Women's Champion Roxanne Perez, the duo triumphed over Kiana James and Monika Klisara. Mitchell has competed in two non-televised singles matches in her burgeoning pro wrestling career, experiencing losses to Zoey Stark on March 24 and Cora Jade on April 14.

Just two months after signing her WWE contract, Mitchell's first match involved a Halloween Costume Battle Royal at an "NXT" live event in Melbourne, Florida, which Thea Hail ultimately won.

Mitchell's Impressive Gymnastics Achievements

During her time at Michigan State University (MSU) from 2017-2018, Mitchell claimed 23 career event titles in gymnastics.

She also served as a three-time team co-captain. She earned numerous accolades, including a five-time WCGA Scholastic All-America honoree, four-time Academic All-Big Ten, and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree. Mitchell also became the second MSU gymnast to achieve CoSIDA Academic All-American status.

In 2021, she was the first female MSU student to receive the Big Ten Conference Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award. Following Mitchell's signing with WWE, MSU Gymnastics congratulated her on social media, stating, "Congrats to Lea Mitchell – who has always been a superstar for us – but is now one of @WWE's new Superstars!" Fans eagerly await Mitchell's debut as Kelani Jordan and look forward to seeing her gymnastic background enhance her performance in the wrestling ring.

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