TNA’s Indi Hartwell recently opened up about her return to WWE during a “WWE NXT” event and shared her feelings about stepping back into familiar territory. As the reigning TNA Knockouts Champion, Hartwell took part in a WWE #1 contenders match to decide the next challenger for the NXT Women’s Championship just days before capturing the Knockouts title at Bound for Glory. In an episode of “Unseen with Joey Karni,” she talked about the emotions she experienced leading up to her NXT comeback and how it felt after the match.
Hartwell explained, “I was really happy and smiling because I was slightly worried the crowd might not remember me—or not that they wouldn’t remember me, but that they might not care anymore since things move so fast in the business and a lot has happened in NXT since I was last there. That’s why I was so joyful. The return also gave me a sense of closure. I got the chance to reconnect with former coaches, producers, and colleagues because when you’re released, there’s often no proper goodbye.”
Aside from providing closure to her WWE journey, her appearance also gave Hartwell a boost of momentum going into her Knockouts title match at Bound for Glory, where she triumphed over Xia Brookside. Additionally, she got the unique opportunity to wrestle against fellow Australian Zaria, someone she had never faced before in the ring.
She continued, “So yeah, it felt like closure, but it also provided a lot of energy heading into Bound for Glory. It was pretty cool to share the ring with Zaria for the first time—two Aussies battling in the NXT ring on television feels special.”
The #1 Contenders Battle Royal was ultimately won by Wren Sinclair, who went on to challenge the NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan at NXT Halloween Havoc, though she did not succeed in capturing the title.
Fan Take: Indi Hartwell’s return to WWE NXT not only serves as an emotional milestone for her but also highlights the fluid nature of professional wrestling careers, where past and present often intertwine. For fighting fans, it underscores how transitions between promotions can reinvigorate a wrestler’s momentum and create fresh, exciting matchups that push the sport forward.
Source: www.wrestlinginc.com
