The numbers don't lie, and they spelled "disaster" for Cora Jade at TNA's "Sacrifice." One of "NXT's" most iconic up-and-coming stars took on current TNA Knockouts Champion Masha Slamovich, and while Jade pulled out all the stops in her championship fight, Slamovich walked out of "Sacrifice" still the world champion.
Despite suffering an injury in early March, Jade took the fight to Slamovich Saturday. NXT's "Resident Mean Girl" went blow-for-blow with Slamovich, and landed a daring apron Canadian Destroyer onto the champion before connecting with a Jaded DDT for a near-fall. Despite her best efforts, Jade could not overcome Slamovich's sheer power, and a Requiem Piledriver from the champion sufficiently crushed Jade's title dreams. The match was well-received by fans, with multiple social media users applauding Jade for her in-ring work.
Jade crossed over into TNA territory in January as a part of TNA and WWE's multi-year long partnership, and immediately had her eyes set on Slamovich's Knockouts title. Saturday's contest marked Jade's first singles championship match since she was sidelined with an ACL, MCL, and meniscus injury back in January 2024. With a clean loss to Slamovich now in the rear view mirror, it seems that Jade is set to return to NXT programming, though whether she will be in world title contention remains unclear.
With Saturday's defense, Slamovich is set to continue her 140-day reign with the Knockouts World Championship. Slamovich dethroned Jordynne Grace for the title at "TNA: Bound for Glory," and has defended it against a multitude of women, including Lei Ying Lee (formerly known as Xia Li), Rosemary, and Tasha Steelz. Slamovich's next title challenger remains to be seen.
