Summary

Jordynne Grace says her match with Giulia on the May 6, 2025 episode of NXT led to backstage criticism, even though she still considers it one of the most meaningful matches she has had in WWE.

Grace discussed the bout while speaking with Adrian Hernandez and said the issue centered on how she delivered the Michinoku Driver during the match. She said she was unaware there was a preferred version of the move used in WWE compared to what she knew from Japan.

The match had already built a strong reputation with fans, and Grace has continued to speak highly of Giulia since then. That history also adds another layer to Jordynne Grace replacing Giulia in a planned SmackDown title defense, as their rivalry has kept carrying weight beyond that first NXT meeting.

Backstage reaction to the Giulia match

Quote from Jordynne Grace

"I'll give you a little behind-the-scenes information, we got in trouble for that match. They just said it was too much. I do the Michinoku Driver, at the time, I did not know that they don't the Michinoku Driver from Japan here. 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."

Grace later went on to say:

"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. 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."

What it could mean for Grace and Giulia

Grace framing the match this way reinforces how much of an impression that NXT meeting left, and it also suggests any future rematch with Giulia would come in with built-in stakes for fans who already viewed the first bout as a standout. It also underlines the balancing act in WWE between letting two aggressive wrestlers push the pace and staying within the promotion's preferred structure for how certain moves are executed.

Sources

Jordynne Grace while speaking with Adrian Hernandez