TNA's Jordynne Grace responds after controversy with AEW talent ignites
TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace inadvertently stirred up controversy today when she quoted a legendary wrestling star. She's now given her thoughts on the drama.
Wrestling veteran Taz has been with AEW since 2019 and is a staple of the commentary booth on Wednesday Night Dynamite. The 56-year-old is a legendary figure in wrestling, known primarily for his career with ECW and WWE, although he also enjoyed a successful stint in TNA.
Taz is remembered for his orange and black color scheme, dominant style, and his famous catchphrase: "Beat me if you can. Survive if I let you." The Human Suplex Machine often ended his promos with this phrase during his time in ECW, and TNA's Jordynne Grace paid tribute to him by quoting it in a tweet today.
Taz responded and noted that he had the catchphrase trademarked, igniting a few controversial exchanges with fans. Jordynne Grace has now commented on the issue, expressing her disappointment that she is unable to quote one of the legends she was inspired by:
"Not being able to quote legends that I’ve emulated for years wasn’t in my pro wrestling handbook, but duly noted."
Former AEW star Ethan Page asked Jordynne Grace not to ruin his debut
Three years on from its crossover with AEW, TNA has begun a new partnership – this time with WWE. The most prominent talent in this exchange thus far has been TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace, who's made several appearances for the Stamford-based promotion this year.
The 28-year-old made her first NXT appearance on May 28, which happened to be the same night former AEW star Ethan Page made his WWE debut. During a recent episode of Busted Open, the TNA star revealed that she and Page are friends and that he'd asked her not to ruin his debut on NXT:
"We're actually good friends, we're like in a group chat, [and] we talk every single day. I had no idea that he was gonna be there until I went down to the hotel gym that morning, and he was in there, and I was like, 'What are you doing here?' and he turns around, and he's like in full panic mode. The first thing he said to me was, 'Please don't ruin this for me,' and I was like, 'What?' And then he told me that he was debuting, and I was like, 'Dude! So am I,'" she said.
Grace managed to defeat NXT stars Stevie Turner and Tatum Paxley but was unable to dethrone Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Title at Battleground 2024. Whether the 28-year-old makes any further appearances for WWE remains to be seen.