Kelani Jordan successfully retained her TNA Knockouts World Championship at Bound For Glory, overcoming Indi Hartwell in a hard-fought battle. This marked Jordan’s first major title defense since capturing the gold at Victory Road in September.
The road to this match came through an unexpected chain of events. When former champion Ash by Elegance vacated the title due to health issues, a battle royal was organized at Victory Road to crown new contenders. Kelani Jordan and Léi Yǐng Lee emerged as the final two competitors, with Jordan later defeating Lee that same night to become the new TNA Knockouts World Champion. Notably, Indi Hartwell served as the special guest referee for that bout.
Hartwell secured her title opportunity weeks later by winning a three-way match on TNA Impact! against Jody Threat and Dani Luna. Originally, she was slated to face the winner of Ash by Elegance vs. Masha Slamovich at Victory Road, but the match was canceled, paving the way for Jordan’s unexpected championship victory and the eventual showdown at Bound For Glory.
At Bound For Glory, both women put on a highly competitive match that had the crowd fully invested. Hartwell, whose parents took four separate flights to be in attendance, came close to victory after connecting with a top-rope elbow drop and later hitting her Hurts Donut finisher. However, Jordan’s ring awareness saved her, as she managed to reach the ropes to break the count.
The contest concluded with Jordan capitalizing on a key moment. After Hartwell climbed to the top rope, Jordan met her there and, despite being knocked back, quickly recovered to deliver a split-legged moonsault for the pinfall win, successfully retaining her championship on pay-per-view.
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