WWE apparently already has bigger plans in mind for Kelani Jordan, and her recent RAW appearance wasn’t just a random one-night cameo. After Jordan competed in a Money in the Bank qualifying match on the September 14, 2026 episode of WWE RAW, new information indicates WWE is targeting the end of the year for her permanent move to the main roster.
Jordan walked into RAW as the reigning NXT Women’s Champion and faced Women’s Intercontinental Champion Raquel Rodriguez and RAW newcomer Lola Vice in a Triple Threat Money in the Bank qualifier. Vice ultimately stole the win with a quick roll-up on Rodriguez, but Jordan’s involvement in the match apparently served another purpose behind the scenes.
Speaking on WrestleVotes Radio, Joey Votes revealed that WWE specifically used Jordan’s RAW appearance to introduce her to the larger main roster television audience ahead of plans to eventually move her out of NXT.
“Following her debut on Monday Night Raw, we’ve learned the inclusion of Kelani Jordan in the Money in the Bank qualifiers was intended as an introduction to the mainstream WWE television audience as plans have emerged for Jordan to become main roster bound following the conclusion of her NXT Championship run.”
Jordan only captured the NXT Women’s Championship at Heatwave on August 30, defeating Kendal Grey after using an exposed turnbuckle before landing a moonsault to get the win. That means WWE isn’t necessarily looking to rush her out of NXT immediately, but her championship run now appears to have a destination attached to it.
Joey added that Jordan has supporters inside WWE and that people backstage have taken notice of how much she’s progressed since joining NXT in 2022. More importantly, her eventual promotion is being viewed internally as something that’s going to happen rather than simply something WWE is considering.
“Jordan, who has been part of the NXT roster since 2022, has several supporters within the locker room and according to a backstage source has shown significant improvement over time. The feeling internally is that her move to the main roster is now a matter of when, not if, with the end of the year currently targeted for her permanent placement.”
Jordan’s September 14 RAW appearance put her in there with two women already connected to WWE’s main roster picture. Rodriguez entered the match as Women’s Intercontinental Champion, while Vice was making her RAW in-ring debut and ended the night by punching her ticket to Money in the Bank. TC said he thought Jordan looked completely comfortable in that environment and even believed WWE could have justified having the NXT Women’s Champion win the qualifier.
“I thought she looked the part. I thought she did a great job in that Triple Threat match on Monday, the Money in the Bank qualifier. Very easily could have seen her winning that match as NXT Champion.”
Instead, WWE went with Vice, who caught Rodriguez with the quick finish to earn the Money in the Bank spot. That allowed Vice to score a huge victory in her RAW debut without Jordan having to take the loss herself. TC felt the booking protected everyone involved while giving Vice the immediate main roster win.
“And I thought maybe the right choice in that scenario is to have the person debuting on the main roster win that match, which we see happen on Monday for Lola Vice. Quick, quick roll-up, touch finish, right? Was that the end of the match there where, hey, it could have been anybody’s win. It was not really anybody getting buried or anybody, like, really, you know, looking bad in the process of that when Lola Vice comes out with the opportunity to go to Money in the Bank.”
That finish also left Jordan free to head back to NXT with her championship and unfinished business. TC said WWE is clearly high on Jordan, but noted that she still has work to do as NXT Women’s Champion before the company pulls the trigger on her permanent move.
“But yes, they’re very high on Kelani Jordan. You can see just from watching she has abilities, she has a way to connect with the crowd, she’s a great talent in the ring. So I think sooner rather than later you’ll see her up on the main roster. But there’s definitely still some fish to fry down in NXT for her as NXT Women’s Champion.”
The interesting part now is what WWE does with Jordan’s championship reign before that call-up happens. She only became NXT Women’s Champion at the end of August, but if the end of 2026 is already being targeted for her permanent RAW or SmackDown arrival, WWE suddenly has a pretty clear window to finish whatever it wants from her title run before sending her upstairs.
Jordan got a taste of the main roster in Mexico City, and it apparently wasn’t an accident. WWE gave her a spot opposite two established main roster names, let her walk away without eating the pin, and now the clock appears to be ticking on her NXT run as the company gets ready for the next stage of her career.
What do you think WWE should do with Kelani Jordan before moving her to RAW or SmackDown, and which brand would be the better fit for her? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
