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Earlier this week, TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace revealed herself to be the next challenger to Roxanne Perez's WWE NXT Women's Championship. On a recent episode of "Busted Open Radio," TNA producer Tommy Dreamer weighed in on this upcoming matchup, while adding that Perez is reminiscent of another figure in the TNA Knockouts Championship lineage — "Hardcore Country" Mickie James.
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"[When Perez wrestled in TNA in early 2022], I just saw this amazing performer who was so young and so already TV ready," Dreamer said. "Then all of a sudden, she shows up in NXT [a few months later]. I couldn't be happier for her. And I compared her to she's the next Mickie James. She has that personality, and this heel run that I see her having, I never saw that. Which is like when Bully [Ray] says like sometimes do the unexpected, and it works."
After witnessing the title-for-title match between then ROH Women's World Champion Perez (fka Rok-C) and AAA Reina De Reinas Deonna Purrazzo in January 2022, Dreamer noted that he pushed the idea of signing Perez to a TNA Wrestling contract. Around that same time, Perez had a tryout with WWE. Ultimately, Perez opted to ink a deal with WWE, where debuted on the "WWE NXT" brand later that April.
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Similar to Mickie James, Perez was initially presented as a babyface on WWE television. Eventually, though, "The Prodigy" adopted a much more aggressive and conceited attitude. This change in demeanor proved to be beneficial for Perez, as it paved the way for her to regain the NXT Women's Championship at the 2024 "NXT" Stand & Deliver premium live event.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
