Tommy Dreamer, a key figure in TNA’s creative and talent relations, has put an end to any fan speculation regarding Ash By Elegance’s status, confirming her recently announced departure from in-ring competition is due to a legitimate injury. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Dreamer made it clear that the situation is not a work.
He addressed the reality of the circumstances directly, contrasting them with other on-screen injury angles. “If it’s a work, you’re not going to hand in your title,” Dreamer explained. “Like, the Seth Rollins thing, people were speculating… But with Ash, unfortunately, like I said, things changed because she had stepped down and it sucks.”
Dreamer emphasized the privacy of the matter while shutting down further inquiry. “She is no longer physically able to compete, per her statement and that’s it. There’s HIPAA laws involved and stuff like that. People shouldn’t speculate.”
The sudden development forced major changes to TNA’s championship plans. The company had a title defense scheduled for Ash at the upcoming Bound for Glory pay-per-view against Indi Hartwell. “It was going to be the winner of her match faced Indi [Hartwell] to defend the title at [Bound for Glory] and everything has to change. ‘Card subject to change’ is a real thing,” Dreamer stated.
Following Ash By Elegance relinquishing the title at the Victory Road on September 26, NXT’s Kelani Jordan was crowned the new TNA Knockouts Champion later that night.
Jordan’s path to the championship was determined after a battle royal was held to find new contenders for the vacant title. She and Léi Yǐng Lee were the final two competitors, earning them a one-on-one championship match with Indi Hartwell assigned as the special guest referee.
The finish of the title match came after Hartwell was accidentally knocked down, leaving her unable to make the count after a spinning heel kick from Lee. This opening allowed Jordan to recover and hit her finishing move to secure the victory. In a direct result of the night’s events, Jordan’s first title defense will be against Hartwell at Bound For Glory.