WWE’s Mishandling of Jordynne Grace Signals a Stalled Main Roster Run

The past few years have brought mixed results for women’s wrestling in WWE. There have been clear wins, including Rhea Ripley’s rapid ascent, as well as milestones for Iyo Sky and Liv Morgan. Yet frustrations remain. Ripley has dealt with untimely injuries, Morgan reclaimed a world title only to never defend it, and talents such as Chelsea Green are underused while Jade Cargill continues to search for her footing. A deep roster of women waits for opportunity, among them Jordynne Grace. She arrived from TNA with considerable momentum, but WWE has already allowed her presence to fade. If this is the level of attention she is receiving this early, her run may effectively be over.

Jordynne Grace Came to NXT as an All-Time TNA Great

• Grace was a three-time Knockouts World Champion.
• She competed in two straight WWE Royal Rumble matches.
• She wasn’t used to the best of her ability on NXT.

On a recent season of Dark Side of the Ring, TNA co-founder Jeff Jarrett spoke proudly about the Knockouts division, a women’s roster built around in-ring competition. Many standouts have come through TNA, but among the most recent and arguably the greatest is Jordynne Grace. She competed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2018 to 2025, capturing the Knockouts World Championship three times.

Grace had already established herself as a major name. Then TNA’s partnership with WWE created new exposure. Alongside Joe Hendry, Grace benefited most, appearing in the 2024 and 2025 women’s Royal Rumble matches to strong fan reactions. On NXT, she became a central figure but saw limited meaningful progression. After less than a year in developmental, she moved to the main roster, debuting on SmackDown in January 2026. Since then, her trajectory has declined sharply.

A Healthy Jordynne Grace Isn’t Being Used on SmackDown

• Grace had a lazy feud with Jade Cargill on the blue brand.
• She hurt her ankle during a Main Event match with Alba Fyre.
• Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful said that WWE doesn’t know what to do with Grace.

Grace should have arrived on SmackDown as a significant addition. Her size and strength had previously been framed as an unstoppable force, a presentation that could have succeeded again. Instead, she was placed in a stagnant program with Jade Cargill that led nowhere. Around the same time, she sustained an ankle injury against Alba Fyre on Main Event—a low-profile broadcast for a newly called-up star.

Her situation has worsened. Grace returned healthy in April, only to be fed to Tiffany Stratton in a number one contender’s match for the United States Championship, losing immediately and appearing diminished. Currently, a healthy Grace is not even scheduled on SmackDown. She has become the women’s counterpart to Ilja Dragunov: a Friday night talent with clear ability who is left idle.

In a Fightful Q&A this week, Sean Ross Sapp noted that Grace has been backstage on some SmackDown weeks, but WWE has “no vision for her” and “no idea what to do with her.” Such commentary is troubling for her career. If the company has already lost interest this early, her prospects look bleak.

Does Jordynne Grace Fit the Mold of a Typical WWE Superstar?

via WWE

• Grace, a former bodybuilder, doesn’t have the same look as other WWE women.
• Her mic skills are not as good as others, and Grace does her best talking in the ring.
• Grace has proven herself for years and deserves to be respected by WWE creative.

What does WWE overlook in Jordynne Grace? Fans embrace her. She is not a conventional star, standing out as a compact powerhouse capable of overpowering opponents. That very distinctiveness may be working against her. WWE’s women often fit a familiar physical template, unlike Grace, a former bodybuilder who remains shorter and more muscular than most despite slimming down. Her promo ability is also limited; she communicates best through physicality. This mirrors Dragunov’s struggle: a wrestler in a system that favors sports-entertainment presentation.

If Grace’s WWE tenure is to be salvaged, change is needed now. Continued absence from television will signal to casual viewers that she is insignificant. Prolonged inactivity could erase her crowd reaction altogether. A move to Raw, where she could be unleashed as a dominant force, may be the best path. Whatever WWE decides, it should act swiftly. Grace is not a developmental project or a prospect; she is a proven performer who has succeeded wherever she has competed.

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