Jordynne Grace has opened up about running into backstage issues in WWE following her hard-hitting NXT showdown with Giulia last year, revealing that one particular move led to her match getting flagged behind the scenes.
Speaking with Adrian Hernandez of UNLIKELY (see video below), Grace reflected on her No. 1 contender bout against Giulia for the NXT Championship in May 2025, a match that was widely praised by fans but reportedly didn’t land the same way internally with WWE officials.
According to Grace, the concern stemmed from her use of the Michinoku Driver, which is a move that is restricted in WWE due to the potential risk of neck and spine injuries, with only a modified version allowed in the company’s style.
“It was because she used the Michinoku Driver, a banned in-ring move restricted due to high-risk neck or spine injuries.”
However, Grace admitted she wasn’t aware of the specific WWE version restriction at the time she used it.
“I’ll give you a little behind-the-scenes information, we got in trouble for that match,” she said. “They just said it was too much. I do the Michinoku Driver. At the time, I did not know that they don’t do the Michinoku Driver from Japan here.”
She continued, explaining that WWE instead uses a safer variation of the move where the opponent is seated differently on impact.
“They do the one where you sit the person out all the way. I didn’t know that was a thing until after this match.”
Despite the backstage reaction, Grace made it clear she remains a fan of both the match and her opponent, Giulia, while also expressing interest in running it back under different circumstances down the line.
“It was not taken very well but I loved the match. I love wrestling Giulia, she’s awesome. I cannot wait to wrestle her again,” she said. “Those matches are really the best moments for me because that’s when the wrestlers really get to feel something, right? They feel like it’s real. It is real but it’s like real in that moment.”
