Rising WWE NXT star Kelani Jordan talks 'crazy' journey from gymnastics stardom to squared circle

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

WWE NXT performer Kelani Jordan took a different path than most pro wrestlers when she got into the squared circle.

Jordan, whose real name is Lea Mitchell, was a standout gymnast at Michigan State from 2018 to 2022 and took part in WWE’s SummerSlam tryouts in August 2022 once her collegiate career was over. WWE signed her as part of the company’s Next In Line (NIL) program after the tryout.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Kelani Jordan puts her opponent in a headlock. (WWE)

Just over a year later, Jordan will compete in the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge at "NXT Deadline" on Saturday in hopes of becoming the No. 1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship.

"I got a message about the opportunity to go to the Nashville SummerSlam tryout, and I thought, why not?" she told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "I watched wrestling growing up when I was younger, but then I stopped for a little bit because I was solely focused on gymnastics.

"So, when I got the message, I flew down to Nashville. I did the tryout amongst other elite collegiate athletes and thankfully I was able to get the opportunity to come down to the Performance Center by Triple H himself and I’ve really grown a new profound passion for pro wrestling. Honestly, it’s like my new love – almost the same as gymnastics was."

RISING WWE NXT STAR KELANI JORDAN OFFERS WARNING TO IRON SURVIVOR OPPONENTS AHEAD OF 'DEADLINE'

Michigan State gymnast Lea Mitchell during the Elevate the Stage Meet on March 8, 2019 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Jordan admitted that she never thought about being in WWE