Jaida Parker Recalls Emotional Reaction To Being Recruited For WWE NXT Breakout Tournament

WWE star Jaida Parker made her television debut last year, appearing in the WWE NXT Breakout Tournament after Jakara Jackson was pulled due to injury. Though she lost to Karmen Petrovic in the first round, it was the first defining moment of Parker's wrestling career. Appearing on "The Hall of Fame" with "WWE NXT" commentator Booker T, Parker recalled her reaction to being told she'd debut in the tournament.

"It was very emotional, because at the time, I had lost family members back to back," Parker said. "I tell people every day, 'You can't tell me God ain't real.' Because I did not expect that phone call to happen and come through and be like, 'Hey, by the way, you're gonna be in a tournament.'"

According to Parker, the emotional phone call was one of the best moments of her life, reassuring her that she's on the right path. The "NXT" star now feels as though she's been given this opportunity for a reason, though appearing on television has taken some getting used to for the 25-year-old.

"I used to get nervous for soccer games sometimes, but that — adding cameras into it and people that close — it's a different type of nerves and butterflies," Parker continued. "But they always told me, 'You get nervous and butterflies when you're about to do something great,' so I just took that and ran with it."

Following her tournament appearance, Parker continued wrestling live events and dark matches until joining Out The Mud at the beginning of this year. She's since begun appearing fairly regularly on TV, picking up victories against the likes of Gigi Dolin, Fallon Henley, and most recently Brinley Reece on the May 14 episode of "NXT."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Hall of Fame" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.