From Aspiring Medical Professional To Break Out WWE Star, Kendal Grey Is One To Watch In 2026 [Exclusive]

There are some people when they step into the squared circle, you can just instantly tell that they were born to be a professional wrestler.

Evolve Women's Champion Kendal Grey has been turning heads ever since she arrived in WWE as part of the company's NIL program, and it's no wonder why.

The Las Vegas, Nevada native has been carving her path to superstardom from a very young age, ever since her father's love of sports led her to start out in gymnastics before stepping onto the soccer pitch, then the tee ball field and the ice skating rink. At the age of 11, she graduated to jiu-jitsu, judo, boxing and Muay Thai.

When it was time for her to go to high school, Grey's father made what turned out to be a life-altering suggestion.

"When I was 14, my dad was like, 'You should try out for the wrestling team,'" Grey told The Takedown on SI.

Kendal, real name Peyton Prussin, thought her dad was making a joke, because her local high school did not have a female wrestling team. In fact, women's wrestling at the high school level was non-existent across the state of Nevada at the time.

As it turns out, her father was being genuine and he encouraged her to tryout for the boys team at Arbor View High School. While some may have had some reservations about doing so, especially at that age, Prussin quickly found her comfort zone.

“I was always outside with my brother playing tackle football, two-hand touch, [and] manhunt with all his friends,” Grey said. “I always wanted to be like [my brother]. I always was the dirty little girl outside playing scooters, catching bugs. So, I felt like it was very natural for me to be around the guys. And so on the wrestling team, with the guys, I felt like one of the bros.”

Every good day is a little Grey… #wwe #wwenxt #kendalgrey #greygraps #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/wM6ITqJcIC
— Kendal Grey (@kendalgreywwe) August 27, 2025

Not only did Peyton end up making the boys wrestling team at Arbor View, but she thrived, later becoming a multi-time High School All-American and the first girl to qualify for the Boys' 4-A Nevada State Tournament for her weight class.

While those accolades may lead you to believe that Prussin earned herself a D-1 scholarship to a major university, you'd be wrong. As she began to explore higher educations opportunities, Peyton was not presented with the wider array of options to compete at the collegiate level that have started to flourish in recent years.

“I went to an NAIA school, a smaller school for women's wrestling. And now there's schools that are D-1. The Iowa Hawkeyes, first Big 10 college for women's wrestling. So, it's super cool to see these opportunities open up for other girls that I didn't have. And even in Vegas, like in Nevada, they have their own state tournament. Each high school has their own women's team.”

Prussin found herself enrolling at Life University in Marietta, Georgia after high school, where she was a standout performer on the Running Eagles women's wrestling team. She won three consecutive NAIA Women's Wrestling Championships, all while earning a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Despite her very accomplished athletic career, Peyton was fully prepared to leave wrestling behind after earning her degree. What would she be doing if she wasn't currently climbing the ladder in WWE?

“I'm weird, but I love popping things,” Grey very comfortably admitted. “All the nasty pimple popper videos, I watch those all the time. So, it's kind of nasty, but I wanted to be a dermatologist. I was very interested in the skin and stuff.”

Admittedly, that answer raised more questions than the time permitted allowed us to ask, but we did press Peyton on how she went from an aspiring medical professional to becoming the No. 1 Contender for the NXT Women's Championship.

The answer: Raw Superstar Julius Creed, who was a collegiate wrestler at Duke University prior to signing with WWE.

“We stayed in contact through wrestling… And I remember after my second national title, he reached out one day saying congrats. Then he was like, ‘After you're done, WWE next?’ And I thought he was joking.”

Grey Graps 🤝🏼 pic.twitter.com/NKV0JZCoWe
— Kendal Grey (@kendalgreywwe) November 17, 2025

But much like her father was years before when he suggested she try out for the boys high school wrestling team, Creed was serious, and he offered to put her in touch with the right people in WWE if she were interested. And she was.

“I do give credit to him because what I've noticed, not so much now, but with NIL sponsorships, they usually look for NCAA athletes and women's wrestling wasn't NCAA. And women's wrestling, most people don't even know it is a thing. So, I don't even know if I would've had this opportunity if it wasn't for him.”

Prussin signed her WWE NIL deal in January 2023, making her the first female NAIA athlete in program history. It wasn't long before she signed a full-time NXT contract and Kendal Grey was born.

She made her in-ring debut on March 22, 2024 at an NXT Live event in Sanford, Florida, and then appeared on an episode of NXT Level Up a few days later.

Grey says her amateur wrestling background definitely helped her get up to speed in the WWE system, and once on television, she almost immediately started making waves.

“I just never knew that I could possibly be a WWE Superstar, but now that I am, I don't wanna do anything else. This is a dream come true.”

In addition to her off the charts athletic ability, and natural charisma, Grey has been gifted with an invaluable work ethic which has allowed her to continuously hone her skills as a performer. And she has really begun to harvest the fruits of her labor in recent months.

Kendal captured the Women's Evolve Championship back in August, was then deemed worthy enough by John Cena to compete in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline and then she won that match to earn a shot at Jacy Jayne's NXT Women's Championship at New Year's Evil on Tuesday, January 6.

The 24-year-old told The Takedown on SI, however, that she's not allowing success to go to her head.

“I'm very humble with myself. I feel like there's always something to get better. There's always something to improve on,” Grey said. “I feel like I go in every day to the performance center with a positive mindset. I try to work hard. I try to get one percent better every day, and I just gotta trust in my training, trust in who I am and bet on myself.”

New year, new Kendal Grey?

The new year is right around the corner, and people say the flipping of the calendar to January presents everyone with a fresh start, and an opportunity to create a better version of themselves.

What does Kendal Grey really want to improve on in 2026? Everything may seem like a cop out answer, but that really is her mindset. She wants to get better across the board, but did specifically mention a desire to step up her promo work.

“Talking wasn't always my strong suit growing up. I was actually the kid that would hide under the desk so my teacher wouldn't pick on me to read in front of the class,” Grey said. “It's cool coming here and getting better at having those communication skills. I think it’s very important, and I love doing it.”

There are some prominent members of pro wrestling media who believe that Grey is good enough right now to be a major player on the WWE main roster, even with less than 100 career matches under her belt.

⏳⌛️ pic.twitter.com/OVDdN8sVmt
— Kendal Grey (@kendalgreywwe) December 23, 2025

Again, Grey is remaining grounded. She's focused on Jacy Jayne and capturing the NXT Women's Championship. A victory this Tuesday could lead to a major match at NXT Stand & Deliver this April in her hometown of Las Vegas, but she will not alter her approach of taking everything a step at a time.

“It's a cool feeling to know that people are seeing my hard work and what I can bring to the table, what I can bring into the ring. But I think everything will happen when it's supposed to happen. Timing is everything and I feel like I definitely have a lot to learn. I definitely have a lot to do here in NXT, and I feel like whenever my time is right, [moving to the main roster will] happen naturally.”

Regardless what the immediate future holds for Kendal Grey, the sky is the limit for her WWE career. She's caught our attention and she is certainly one to watch in 2026.

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