There has never been a true blueprint for reaching the top of professional wrestling. Of course, there are stars who come into the industry and you know they’re destined for greatness from the get-go – they’re blue-chip, if you will, like The Rock, Jade Cargill or Bron Breakker.
While these ascents may be inevitable, they’re far from the only path to stardom in WWE. Sometimes, a wrestler seizes a moment, connects with fans, and suddenly finds themselves at the top of the industry.
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Thirty years ago, Steve Austin cut a historic promo for The Lord of the Rings. Eight years ago, Becky Lynch transformed a broken nose into a whole new character. A few months later, Kofi Kingston took full advantage of a last-minute opportunity to start a real movement on the road to WrestleMania.
It’s those flashes of unpredictability that help turn midcard players into main eventers. When fans organically support a breakout show, new stars are born.
This could be exactly what we start to see happen with Kiana James in 2026.
James, real name Kayla Klingensmith, initially trained at Flatback Wrestling School in Orlando before signing with WWE in 2022, eventually making her way to the main roster via NXT. While her path to “SmackDown” was relatively standard, the former gymnast’s entry into professional wrestling was completely unique.
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“I got reconnected with WWE in college,” James told Uncrowned ahead of Saturday’s PLE. “My college coach was obsessed with ‘Total Divas.’ I started watching that reality show, but I was leaning more into wrestling and I thought, ‘I really want to do this. “
“I was working for a company at the time. I typed in WWE on LinkedIn, and I copied and pasted a message asking anyone who had that information in their profile, ‘How did I get into this industry, here’s a video of me doing somersaults in the gym.’ Eventually, I found the right fit and got a tryout.”
While James was working her way through NXT, she found success through feuds with Tiffany Stratton, Roxanne Perez, and the aforementioned Lynch. Despite never winning a singles title for the brand, James was called up to the main roster in April 2024, winning her first match a few weeks later before suffering a serious knee injury that sidelined her for more than a year.
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James’ ascent to the main roster was cut short before it really began.
“Obviously people were emotionally affected when this happened,” she said. “I made a promise to myself to come back stronger and said I could let this define me or let it be something that happens along the way. I wanted to get 1 percent better every day and have the goal of getting back in the ring and getting in the ring again.”
When James returned from injury last summer, he wasn’t primarily an on-court performer. Instead, she was named on-screen manager for United States Women’s Champion Julia. While NXT players like Roxanne Perez, Tiffany Stratton and Lyra Valkyria thrived on the main roster, James faced a different challenge.
“Physically, there’s always questions — structurally, it’s your knee and you had surgery,” James said. “I think leaning forward and being mentally strong helps with that. You say to yourself, ‘Your knee is physically rehabbing, you’ve been working on it for a few months. That’s good.’ It’s probably more of a mental thing than a physical thing. And then, being on the sidelines actually helped me and my mental game. I took a step back and started watching everybody wrestle. The process has been great, everyone’s journey is different, and I’m grateful for the route I’ve taken.”
Kiana James (right) competes with United States Women’s Champion Julia on “WWE SmackDown.”
(WWE via Getty Images)
Even though James wasn’t that active in the ring, he wasn’t discouraged. Her role in WWE is similar to what you see in corporate America or hear from Tom Brady when he was playing: one show at a time. Brick by brick. Do your job. Know your character (pun intended). No matter which sports (or sports entertainment) cliché you want to apply, the blend of James’ real-life mentality and WWE persona creates an authenticity that fans love.
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“Every opportunity we get to perform in front of the WWE Universe is amazing,” she said. “I think every time we go out, it’s an audition to come back. Instead of looking at it on a macro level, I try to look at it on a micro level – that’s your role this week, focus on that and let the chips fall.”
In January, as attention shifted to the Royal Rumble and the official start of the WrestleMania season, the chips finally fell on James’ side. James entered her first Women’s Royal Rumble match in third place, sharing the ring with Alex Bliss and Charlotte Flair in the early stages of a chaotic match.
Not only did she hold her own in a huge match against one of WWE’s biggest names of the year, James also made a name for herself, having breakout performances alongside Lash Legend and Sol Ruca.
“When I found out I was going to be third, I looked at it as an opportunity to show something I hadn’t shown yet,” James said. “The Royal Rumble can get really crowded, so being able to [get in early] And it feels great to show off some of my strengths. Most importantly, the fan energy comes from nowhere. Although a bit shocking, it was definitely exciting and kept me rumbled for over 20 minutes.
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“Backstage, some of my mentors and colleagues gave me credit. They knew I had been waiting for this opportunity and saw the work I had put in. They were excited to see it pay off.”
Since taking his chance at the Royal Rumble, James has competed in the Women’s Tag Team Championship with Julia against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Skye, and competed in last week’s Triple Threat Match to earn a spot in Saturday’s Women’s Elimination Chamber Elimination Chamber match.
With Flair and Nia Jax listed as her opponents, you’d be hard-pressed to find the right fit – anyone — choosing James to book her a spot in the chamber. Until she actually did it.
“I enjoy everything I do with Julia, but to have the opportunity to be a floor performer and showcase it is so rewarding,” she said. “The past few weeks have been awesome. I think being in the ring with these stars and beating someone like Charlotte Flair is a crazy accomplishment. She’s one of the most decorated Superstars. Being able to do that built the momentum and confidence for me to be able to move into a main event level role.”
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The cage elimination match will be James’ second high-level live event after joining the main roster, and she is undoubtedly the underdog. Still, if the past few weeks have proven anything, it’s that James is capable of taking on a bigger role in the “SmackDown” women’s division, a role that feels as ripe as ever, especially with so many big names focused on the tag team titles.
As chaotic as the world of wrestling can be—even when you’re not in the biggest and fastest push of your career—James remains relatively grounded, relying on her mentors Shawn Spears and Tyler Breeze as well as respected peers like Flair to help guide her.
“I think it’s been really easy for me to ‘keep on, keep on, keep on’ and ‘on to the next one,’ but I’m lucky that I have great mentors and colleagues who take the time to remind me of these moments,” James said. “I’m lucky to have people who have been through this experience and told me to take a step back and enjoy the ride.”
After Saturday, Kiana James may want to update her LinkedIn profile.
