50 Best Wrestlers Of The 2020s (So Far)

38. Jordynne Grace

WWE Night Of Champions 2025 Cody Rhodes King Of The Ring
WWE

Long hailed as one of the most physically dominant and technically proficient women’s wrestlers in North America, Jordynne Grace transformed that underground acclaim into mainstream momentum over the course of the 2020s. 

Her profile skyrocketed following a surprise appearance in the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble - only the second TNA Knockouts Champion to enter the match after Mickie James’ history-making 2022 cameo. But unlike James’ nostalgic nod, Grace’s inclusion felt like the beginning of something bigger.

The stint was lauded by critics and fans alike. The buzz led to a high-profile summer run in NXT later that year, including an acclaimed bout with Roxanne Perez that cemented her status as more than a novelty guest. That crossover appearance opened doors not just for Grace, but for a reinvigorated working relationship between WWE and TNA.

It was ahead of time for the former Knockouts Champion; Grace had already reshaped the division in her image, thanks to celebrated work against Deonna Purrazzo, Masha Slamovich, Mia Yim and others, and a polarising but headline-grabbing 2025 program with the returning Tessa Blanchard was a case of her making the very best of a swan song more in service of the promotion the performer.

Her subsequent NXT run went as well as anybody expected with the natural outcome - a move to the main roster - as assured as it was during the aforementioned maiden Rumble appearance. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett