Former WWE superstar Nixon Newell, previously known as Tegan Nox, recently revealed the creative constraints she faced during her time with the company.
Some things are just out of your control and you can only do as much as you can. Let’s clear one thing up though. I’m ready. Ive been ready. Just have to show people what they’ve missed.
Speaking during a Highspots Sign-it-Live session on Facebook, Newell discussed how her on-screen persona differed significantly from her authentic self.
“This is me down to a T. I’m very emo pop-punk,” Newell explained, referring to her current appearance and style.
“The ‘Tegan Nox’ was so far removed from me, that I was trying to get this through but I just wasn’t allowed. They preferred me to be the ‘girl next door’ instead of tattooed-up punk kid.”
Her comments shed light on WWE’s character development process and their preference for certain character archetypes, particularly in their women’s division.
Newell’s revelation highlights the ongoing discussion about creative freedom and authentic representation in professional wrestling.
Former WWE star Tegan Nox, now wrestling as Nixon Newell, has spoken for the first time about her release from the company. The 30-year-old Welsh wrestler, who competed on Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, was released in November 2023 as part of WWE’s talent cuts.
In an interview with Metro, Newell revealed that she had been dealing with an undiagnosed illness before her departure, which kept her out of action for months. Despite being medically cleared, she was never given the chance to return to the ring, citing miscommunication between WWE’s medical team and outside doctors as a major factor.
“I’m giving myself two years to either find the love, find myself, or just call it a day. That’s what’s driving me right now—trying to find this happiness again.”
Newell admitted she saw the release coming and struggled to gain creative momentum in WWE. Despite pitching multiple character changes, including a football hooligan-inspired heel persona, she was often portrayed as an underdog due to her history of injuries.
She also faced online harassment, with some trolls sending her cruel messages after her knee injuries in the Mae Young Classic tournaments.
With her 90-day noncompete clause expired, she is set to return to wrestling in May for ATTACK! Pro Wrestling, facing former WWE colleague Dani Luna.
While training with top stars like Pete Dunne and receiving advice from veterans such as Sheamus and William Regal, Newell remains uncertain about her long-term future in wrestling. She has given herself two years to rediscover her passion for the sport or consider retirement by mid-2027.
“I tried to change everything—new gear, new look, a new style—but it always came back to commentary mentioning my knee injuries.”
Posted February 11th, 2025 in WWE. Tagged: Tegan Nox.
Tegan Nox’s first independent dates since being released from WWE have been canceled. Nox was scheduled to appear at ATTACK! Pro Wrestling’s “Under The Mistletour 2024” in December. However, the promotion has announced her withdrawal from the December 14 and 15 events in Cardiff, offering refunds to fans who bought tickets to see her.
ATTACK! Pro Wrestling’s official statement expressed regret over the change, citing disappointment for fans who had planned to attend. The promotion assured attendees that refunds are available upon request and shared plans to consider Nixon Newell for future events in 2025. Additionally, ATTACK! thanked WWE for its efforts to support the booking arrangements in recent weeks.
The company is actively seeking replacements for the scheduled events and remains committed to delivering a memorable experience for fans.
We’re sorry to have to make this important announcement regarding our December Under The Mistletour shows.
Statement from ATTACK! Pro Wrestling on Nixeon Newell (Tegan Nox) being pulled from first post-WWE shows:
We’re sorry to announce that unfortunately Tegan Nox (AKA Nixon Newell) will no longer be appearing at our Under The Mistletour events in December.
We know this news will be disappointing to the ATTACK! community, especially those who have made travel plans for the show. Our fans are the heart of ATTACK! and we’re sorry to let you down.
We’re already looking into suitable replacements for the shows, and hope to bring Nixon back to ATTACK! in 2025. However, refunds are of course available on request.
We’d like to thank WWE for its support over the past several weeks in trying to make these appearances a possibility.
Posted November 15th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Tegan Nox.
This week, WWE cut Baron Corbin, Indi Hartwell, and Tegan Nox, in the latest round of releases by the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. While Corbin has been informed that his contract will not be renewed when it expires, Nox and Hartwell have already been cut and are awaiting entering free agency next year.
On social media, several wrestlers shared their support for those cut by WWE. Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Tyrus had an interesting offer for Baron Corbin.
@BaronCorbinWWE yo hit me up… got some other doors to show you !
It’s never easy to lose a job, and now these three wrestlers will now have to forge their paths outside WWE. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Indi Hartwell, Nixon Newell, and Baron Corbin and their future outside of WWE.
Their exits were first reported by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select. Nox, now going by her pre-WWE name of Nixon Newell, confirmed her own exit from WWE.
Some things are just out of your control and you can only do as much as you can. Let’s clear one thing up though. I’m ready. Ive been ready. Just have to show people what they’ve missed.
Nox joined WWE in 2017 but was pulled fom that year’s Mae Young Classic due to an ACL injuries. Injuries would continue to plague Nox throughout her career and she was ultimately released from WWE in November 2021. Prior to her release, she had been drafted to Raw, but never appeared on the red brand before being cut.
Nox returned in 2022 as part of Paul Levesque’s wave of talent rehiring that also saw the return of the likes of Braun Strowman, Bronson Reed, and others. Returning on SmackDown, Nox quickly found herself in a similar position to her first run in WWE, as she was rarely used on the blue brand. Her final match on TV came on the April 1, 2024, Raw where she lost in a six-woman tag. Her final win on TV was in tag-team action back in November of last year.
Posted November 1st, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Tegan Nox.
WWE is seemingly writing off Tegan Nox on this week’s episode of SmackDown, an episode that will feature the Elimination Chamber fallout for the SmackDown brand.
Nox returned to WWE TV on the December 2nd edition of SmackDown where she worked three TV matches that month. So far this year, she has only worked two TV matches including a win over Xia Li on January 13 and working this year’s 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match. Since returning in December, she worked several TV matches.
The Idea
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reports Nox is in town for the show and booked to do some sort of injury angle, although it’s unclear whether this is being done to write her off TV for a legitimate injury or not.
WWE has yet to announce anything for Sami Zayn or Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. Here is the updated card for the show that will be held at the Ford Center in Evansville, IN
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair & Rhea Ripley come face-to-face ahead of their WrestleMania 39 match.
Bray Wyatt’s Firefly Funhouse
Rey Mysterio vs. Karrion Kross
Braun Strowman, Ricochet and Madcap Moss vs. Imperium
Damage CTRL appeared on tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown and cut a promo in the ring.
Bayley boasted about being the longest-reigning SmackDown Women’s Champion of all-time before Liv Morgan interrupted.
Liv has had an attitude adjustment since losing the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey at Extreme Rules and has seemingly lost her mind.
The 28-year-old sprinted to the ring, even though she was outnumbered 3 to 1. Tegan Nox then made her shocking return to the company and made the save. Liv hit Damage CTRL with a couple of kendo sticks shots and Tegan followed it up with a Shining Wizard. Liv and Tegan stood tall as Damage CTRL retreated to the end the segment.
Rhea Ripley was interviewed by Talk Sport ahead of Survivor Series last year and credited Tegan for helping her career. Ripley noted that she was on the verge of getting fired early in her career but Tegan made her look good in a match at the WWE Performance Center.
Tegan, she doesn’t understand how much I appreciate her and what she’s done for me. But there was a time at the Performance Center where my name was on the list to get fired and I’d only been there for a year. I don’t know why my name was on the list, I guess people just didn’t like me at the time. It is what it is – I changed their mind! But I was on the chopping block and I had a PC live match in front of all our peers and it was against Tegan.
One of the guys found out I was on that list and he told her – he didn’t tell me because he knew I’d freak out – but he told her and was like ‘look, you’ve got to make Rhea look good because this might be her last match here otherwise.’ And that’s exactly what she did.
FACT. There would be no Rhea Ripley if it wasn’t for @TeganNoxWWE_. She literally saved my job more than once. Thank you friend, go kill it! pic.twitter.com/qiKjENrnPn
Triple H has big plans for the women’s division of WWE now that he is running both the Creative and Talent Relations departments.
The Game was appointed head of both roles in July, replacing his father-in-law Vince McMahon as Head of Creative and John Laurinaitis as Head of Talent.
Both men have since left the promotion following allegations McMahon paid millions in NDAs to female talent he had extramarital affairs with.
The Game’s Plans
Triple H’s first 100 days running things have been marked by the many returns to the company, with Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Karrion Kross, and others all returning.
On the women’s side of things, Candice LeRae, B-Fab, Dakota Kai, Emma, and Scarlett have all returned, and that is expected to continue.
Fightful Select reports that WWE plans on bringing back more female talent to “restock the women’s division with several TV-ready, experienced women’s wrestlers.”
WWE is getting aggressive in building up its women’s division.
With the return of Emma on SmackDown Friday night, there has been word that WWE has interest in bringing back several performers that were released during one of the many budget cuts.
Tegan Nox is someone that WWE would like to bring back, per Fightful. The former NXT star hasn’t wrestled since her release last year and says visa issues have delayed her return to the ring.
When Nox was previously in WWE, she was mostly in NXT. She has teamed with and feuded against Dakota Kai. Shotzi is another person that Nox has teamed with. Perhaps she will be main roster bound if she returns.
Another talent rumored to be brought back is Chelsea Green. She is currently a member of VXT, where she teams with Deonna Purrazzo and Gisele Shaw.
Prior to the addition of Shaw, Green and Purrazzo were Knockouts Tag Team champions. Green has reportedly filmed an exit vignette, which has lead to the speculation that she is headed back to WWE.
There have been ‘at least light talks and gauging interest’ between the AEW officials and Ember Moon.
The former NXT women’s champion who now goes by the name Athena has apparently been very selective about her indie bookings since her release in November last year.
One name that doesn’t seem very likely to join AEW in the immediate future is Tegan Nox. She has been dealing with visa issues since her own WWE release in the same month as Athena.
While she could still show up in Tony Khan’s promotion at some point, the star now going by the name Nixon Newell was ‘very busy’ trying to sort out the situation as of a couple of weeks ago.
Which star would you like to see debut in AEW this Wednesday against The Bunny? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Former WWE star Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox) has provided a health update as she prepares to return to the ring.
Newell was called up to the main roster on Jul. 9, 2021, along with Shotzi Blackheart. She was only given a few opportunities to compete before wrestling her final SmackDown match on August 20th of last year.
She suffered three ACL tears in her WWE career that sidelined her significantly. It’s unclear if Newell’s injuries during her run resulted in the company’s decision to release her on Nov. 18, 2021.
During an interview with Chris Denker, Nixon Newell admitted that she is the happiest she’s been since getting released from WWE. While she is ready to compete again, she is really enjoying the time off being a traveling pro wrestler.
“I miss wrestling,” said Newell. “I really miss being in front of the fans. I miss building a bond with the fans throwing myself around, but it’s been nice to give my body a little bit of time off after wrestling for ten years, almost non-stop, even when I was in rehab,” said Newell.
She continued, “I was still working every day doing hard stuff, so for ten years, my body just being like I f*cking hate you, you stop listening to me. The last 90 days, I think I’ve been in the ring three times, and it’s been great, but my body is needed to relax recharge like build yourself up, and it’s been bloody lovely, but I do miss wrestling, and I’m hoping I can figure something out.” She also shared that her knee is healed and doesn’t need a knee brace.
Where Does Newell Want to Wrestle?
As a free agent, Newell has an opportunity to sign or wrestle with any wrestling promotion. While she isn’t sure where she’ll wrestle, Newell named several wrestlers from All Elite Wrestling and Impact Wrestling.
“…There’s so many people from so many different companies that I want to work with. I’d like to work with Ruby Soho again. We’ve done some stuff on the indies and Chikara, which was so much fun. She’s one of my favorite people to be in the ring with,” said Newell.
She continued, “I’d like to actually have time with Deonna to longer than three minutes, including entrances. I’d like to do stuff with her, Chelsea Green, Mickie James, Serena Deeb, Taylor Wilde. I have such a huge list of people I want to work with from not just Impact or AEW, but worldwide.”
Her 90 days non-compete clause ended on Feb. 18. Stay tuned to see if Nixon Newell shows up in AEW, Impact, or elsewhere.
Tegan Nox, now going by the name Nixon Newell has released a list of stars she wants to face and it includes some pretty interesting names.
The former WWE star took on her Twitter earlier today to post the list of talents she wants to go up against now that she has been released from the company.
The list as seen below incorporates a number of AEW stars including the women’s champion Britt Baker, Ruby Soho, Thunder Rosa, and Cash Wheeler:
Tegan Nox signed with WWE back in 2017. She was supposed to compete in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament but a torn ACL kept her out of it.
She competed in the 2018 version of the tournament before joining NXT full-time in 2019. She tore her ACL again in 2020. It kept her out of action for almost 10 months.
Nox made her SmackDown debut in July this year. She was then drafted to Raw but was released from her WWE contract on November 18, without making any appearances for the red brand.
Since the female star had been promoted to main roster it’s likely that she has a 90 days non-compete clause. This means Tegan Nox will have to wait until February to return to the ring.
Tegan Nox was let from WWE this month after spending 4 years with the company. Rhea Ripley recently spoke with Talk Sport and mentioned about how Nox helped save her WWE career. According to Ripley, her name was on the list of people who could get fired when her and Nox put on a stellar match at the Performance Center.
“There was a time at the Performance Center where my name was on the list to get fired and I’d only been there for a year,” Ripley said.
“I don’t know why my name was on the list, I guess people just didn’t like me at the time. It is what it is – I changed their mind! But I was on the chopping block and I had a PC live match in front of all our peers and it was against Tegan.”
“One of the guys found out I was on that list and he told her – he didn’t tell me because he knew I’d freak out – but he told her and was like ‘look, you’ve got to make Rhea look good because this might be her last match here otherwise.’ And that’s exactly what she did,” Ripley continued.
FACT. There would be no Rhea Ripley if it wasn’t for @TeganNoxWWE_. She literally saved my job more than once. Thank you friend, go kill it! pic.twitter.com/qiKjENrnPn
Ripley also mentioned that Tegan also helped propel her career by chance when she was injured during the Mae Young Classic. As a result of Tegan’s injury, Ripley moved on in the tournament and had a great match with Io Shirai.
Tegan Nox signed with WWE in 2017. She missed the Mae Young Classic that year because she tore her ACL. In the 2018 Mae Young Classic, she suffered a a torn ACL, MCL, lateral collateral ligament, meniscus, and patellar dislocation during her match with Rhea Ripley in the quarter-finals.
Wrestling fans just got done witnessing a wave of cuts that saw 18 performers lose their jobs. Among the names included were Keith Lee, Nia Jax, Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, Franky Monet, and Ember Moon.
While many considered some of those releases to be puzzling, the latest string of roster cuts is sure to turn some heads as well.
WWE has released eight more wrestlers, including John Morrison and the remaining members of the ill fated Hit Row faction. The company had just cut ties with B-Fab, the first sign that trouble might be brewing.
Hit Row was seen as a refreshing act in NXT. The group certainly appeared to light a spark under Isaiah Scott, who had been floundering on the brand. They were called up to the main roster only for all members to be cut in short order.
John Morrison was in line for a feud with his former tag team partner The Miz. Once Miz was off WWE TV to compete in Dancing With The Stars, Morrison was seen on Main Event.
Tegan Nox had a rough break due to injuries but she finally got her chance on the main roster. She was paired with Shotzi Blackheart but the two split following the WWE Draft.
Xavier Woods was filming a show on G4 when he received word of the talent releases. Here is his live reaction.
Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.
“Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.”
With the latest wave of cuts, WWE has now brought the total number of released performers to 79 for the calendar year.
After weeks of having NXT stars work dark matches, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya and Tamina faced NXT stars Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart on this week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown from Tampa, Florida at the Yuengling Center on FOX.
Blackheart got the win for her team by pinning Natalya by hitting her with the Ballpit finisher. There’s still no word yet as to whether this marked their official main roster debuts.
This was expected as the news was reported earlier in the day. This comes at a time where NXT Champion Karrion Kross, Toni Storm, Blackheart, Scarlett, Odyssey Jones and former NXT North American Champion Bronson Reed have been brought to recent TV events for WWE officials to check out.
Nox returned to the ring at Monday’s Raw TV event when she wrestled a dark match against fellow NXT star Toni Storm. The following night on NXT, she made her return to TV as she was revealed the person behind the battery charging vignettes. She continued her program with Candice LeRae after being sidelined with a torn ACL.
Kross and Reed are on WWE’s short list for main roster call-ups, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
For the past few weeks, WWE has been airing mysterious charging battery vignettes on NXT TV. There have been various fan theories as to who could be behind the vignettes. Pwinsider reports the teaser videos will culminate in the return of Tegan Nox.
Nox returned to the ring at Monday’s Raw TV event at the Thunder Dome. She wrestled a dark match against fellow NXT star Toni Storm.
WWE has been trying out NXT stars over the last month including Karrion Kross, Bronson Reed, Shotzi Blackheart, and Scarlett to see if they’re ready for the main roster ahead of the Draft in October.
Nox had been on the sidelines with a torn ACL since last fall. At the time, Dave Meltzer reported that she didn’t suffer the injury while wrestling or even training, but rather when she was doing rehab.
This was the third time that she tore an ACL as she previously tore the ligament in both knees. The first time happened in 2017 and then again in 2018.
Each week the battery has increased power although there’s no word yet on exactly when it will reach full power and Nox will make her return to NXT TV.
NXT Superstar Tegan Nox recently let fans into her personal life via an Instagram post where she revealed she was gay. In the post, Nox is posing with her girlfriend as the couple are looking at one another. Nox accompanied the picture with a caption that read, “Life is good.”
Speaking with Newsweek.com, Nox opened up about her decision, why the time was right, and the subsequent reaction from the WWE Universe.
Nox confessed that her life had always been a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation. However, she felt it was the right time, “especially when you’ve found the right one you’re in love with.”
She shared how the reaction had been generally positive. Nox noted, “There are a few people who obviously don’t agree with that, but 99 percent of the reactions have been positive.”
The NXT Superstar added how she’s been receiving texts from colleagues and friends in support of her. She was grateful that there are “so many nice people in the world.”
When asked if she had sought any advice from openly gay Superstar Sonya Deville, Nox admitted the two have spoken. She explained she talked to Deville before uploading the image and called her a “big, big help.”
According to Nox, Deville shared her number and invited her to text her if she ever needed anything. Crediting Deville as a huge supporter, Nox noted how Deville has been helpful with fans. Nox explained how her family knew she was gay, but her fans in the WWE Universe didn’t. She added how Deville helped her to “bring it out to the public.”
Tegan Nox recently lost a WWE NXT Women’s Championship match to Io Shirai. The two fought on this past Wednesday’s episode of NXT.
Mia Yim was attacked before the start of NXT TakeOver: War Games last night. She was replaced by Dakota Kai in the women’s War Games match but would turn on her team before entering the cage. Kai attacked Tegan Nox and prevented the Welsh wrestler from entering the match as well.
WWE has since issued health updates for both Mia Yim and Tegan Nox.
“Tegan Nox has been taken for an MRI on her surgically repaired knee after the shocking betrayal of Dakota Kai, who mercilessly attacked her supposed friend,” WWE’s update reads.
The report also says that Mia Yim has been taken to a “local medical facility” for further testing. Yim also suffered a broken nose recently in a ladder match against Io Shirai.
Neither Yim nor Nox will compete at Survivor Series tonight. The women’s NXT team will consist of Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, and Io Shirai.
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio – No Holds Barred Match
WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan
RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch vs. NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley – Non-Title Triple Threat Match
SmackDown Tag Team Champions New Day vs. NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed Era vs. RAW Tag Team Champions Viking Raiders – Non-Title Triple Threat Match
Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke, Carmella, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross) vs. Team RAW (Charlotte Flair, Sarah Logan, Natalya, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Kairi Sane) vs. Team NXT (Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair, and Io Shirai) – Women’s Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match
Team SmackDown (Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Shorty G, Ali and King Corbin) vs. Team RAW (Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre) vs. Team NXT (Tommaso Ciampa, TBA) – Men’s Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match
WWE United States Champion AJ Styles vs. NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong vs. WWE Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura – Non-Title Triple Threat Match
NXT Star Tegan Nox made her return to in-ring action on this
Friday’s NXT Live Event after spending almost a year in recovery from various
injuries.
She teamed up with fellow NXT Star Jessi Kamea to fight the
team of Aliyah and Vanessa Borne. Nox got the pin and won the match for her
team. You can check out some photos of her return below:
Tegan Nox made her wrestling debut in 2014, working for
British indie wrestling promotion Attack! Pro Wrestling. She then went on to
wrestle for a number of different indie promotions.
She signed with WWE in April 2017 to compete in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament but the former Progress Star couldn’t participate in it because of a torn ACL.
She returned to action in April the next year and after
competing in several NXT Live Events, it was announced that Tegan will be
competing in the 2018 version of the Mae Young Classic.
However, while she was able to overcome her competitors in
round one and round two during the tournament, she again suffered some injuries
in the quarter-finals match against Rhea Ripley.
She revealed on Twitter that she had several injuries in her knee, including Anterior cruciate ligament, Medial collateral ligament, Lateral collateral ligament, meniscus, and Patellar dislocation which had kept her out of action since then.
During the 2018 Mae Young Classic, Rhea Ripley and Tegan Nox’s match was a hot topic of discussion. In the midst of the bout, Nox suffered a dislocated knee cap, torn MCL, LCL, and a complete tear of her ACL and both meniscus after a dive. Of course, Nox could not continue the match, and Ripley won via forfeit.
Although she didn’t win the tournament, Ripley went on to do rather well for herself. She won a tournament to become WWE’s first-ever NXT UK Women’s Champion. However, she dropped the title to Toni Storm over the weekend. Storm actually won the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament last year. With that being said, Ripley, still the NXT UK Women’s Champion at the time, was in attendance for WWE’s launch of their UK Performance Center in London.
She spoke to “Inside The Ropes” at the event and discussed her match with Nox in the MYC. In regards to Nox’s unfortunate injury, Ripley said the moment was “heartbreaking.” Ripley also said it was distressing to see her opponent in so much pain:
“That was a very heartbreaking moment for me and for everyone that was involved, everyone that was there,” Ripley said. “It was just distressing seeing her in so much pain, but at the same time, the show must go on, so, gotta put the mean face on and keep going.”
What do you think about Ripley’s comments on Nox’s injury?
Rhea Ripley is off to the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic, whether that’s how things were planned or not. In the episode which aired this week, Tegan Nox suffered a knee injury causing her match with Ripley to be stopped prematurely.
Nox detailed the injury on social media not long after the episode aired:
“Well…that happened. I may be out for a while but I cannot thank my friends and family for everything they’ve done the past few weeks and for all the kind words I’ve received, it genuinely warms my heart and gives me that extra (fire) to come back even better.”
Ripley also responded to Nox’s injury on social media. First, she commented on how in honor of her Mae Young Classic opponent from Wednesday, she would be focussing on leg workouts at the gym.
In honor of my win on the #MYC yesterday against @TeganNoxWWE_ today at the gym I did… LEGS! ?
Rhea Ripley is a 22-year-old Australian who was signed by WWE shortly after she competed in the Mae Young Classic last year. Before signing with WWE, Ripley competed for Riot City Wrestling in Adelaide, South Australia. She is a former Riot City Wrestling Women’s Champion.
Last month Tegan Nox suffered a pretty nasty injury during her Mae Young Classic (MYC) match against Rhea Ripley. During a suicide dive, Nox seemed to injure her knee and was in a considerable amount of pain. She began screaming and yelling before the match was called off by the referee. Nox was taken to the back and received proper medical attention for the injury.
Her match with Ripley occurred in mid-August, however, it aired on the WWE Network last night (Wed. October 17, 2018). Soon after, Nox took to social media and offered an update on the severity of her injury. Nox revealed that she suffered a dislocated kneecap, and tore both her MCL and LCL. She also completely tore her ACL and both meniscuses. And finally, Nox suffered bone contusions and a second fracture on her left tibia.
Knox had the following to say about the injury in her post on Twitter:
“Well…that happened. I may be out for a while but I cannot thank my friends and family for everything they’ve done the past few weeks and for all the kind words I’ve received, it genuinely warms my heart and gives me that extra (fire) to come back even better.”
The first episode of the second Mae Young Classic aired last night on the WWE Network. This year the tournament will be released every Wednesday night following NXT.
Mae Young Classic 9/5 Results
Tegan Nox defeated Zatara
Before the match, a video was shown of Nox talking about the heartbreak of missing last year’s tournament with an ACL injury. There were concerns a slight tear in her MCL could have prevented her from making the tournament again this year.
She started off this year’s tournament by pinning Zatara after a shining wizard. Unfortunately, Zatara targetted Nox’s surgically repaired knee for most of the match which could be a factor later in the tournament for Nox.
Rhea Ripley defeated MJ Jenkins
Before the match, a promo video featuring Rhea Ripley showcased how much stronger she has become in the last year. Ripley’s shoulders have filled out considerably. She’s still only 21 years old. The Australian referred to herself as a new and darker Rhea Ripley.
Ripley countered a head-kick into a pump-handle powerbomb for the win.
Lacey Lane defeated Vanessa Kraven
Lacey Lane just signed with WWE and is a hometown favorite hailing from Winter Park, Florida. Kraven is from Montreal and has competed for promotions such as Smash Wrestling in Toronto. She’s scheduled to face Tessa Blanchard on an upcoming episode of Smash Wrestling on the Fight Network and Global Wrestling Network.
Lane pulled off the David vs Goliath upset here when she pinned Kraven with a crucifix-bomb.
Meiko Satomura defeated Killer Kelly
Before the match, a video featuring Meiko Satomura performing on WCW Nitro was shown. She talked about how she was a rookie then and she always dreamed of returning as an accomplished top wrestler.
Satomura finished off Kelly with a Pele kick and a Death Valley Driver.
The injury was particularly disheartening because it’s the second year in a row that her Mae Young Classic hopes were dashed due to injury. After signing with WWE in early 2017, she was forced to withdraw from last year’s MYC due to a torn ACL she suffered before the tournament began.
WWE COO Triple H ESPN about the situation, which he called heartbreaking.
“Tegan, to me is this story of, you know, last year we really wanted her to be in the tournament and she had the ACL injury that prevented her from being in it,” he said.
Nox was out of action for the remainder of 2017 recovering from that knee injury. After all the hard work it took for her to be medically cleared, tragedy struck again.
“To come here and be in a position to where, let me just say, it couldn’t have been any more heartbreaking for her. Emotionally, just couldn’t have been any more heartbreaking. I don’t know, at this point, what happened. She landed funky on a dive and hurt herself.”
Following her injury, Nox posted a message on Twitter explaining that she will not be deterred by injuries. “Freak accidents happen, it’s part of the job,” she said.
Nox showed tremendous fortitude getting back in ring shape for this year’s tournament. This is another bad setback, but hopefully it will motivates her to get back in a WWE ring.
In case you missed it last week, check out Mae Young Classic Results (Spoilers) to find out how the tournament unfolded and who will wrestle in the finals at WWE Revolution.
WWE recently held tapings for the second annual Mae Young Classic Tournament from Full Sail. During the tapings one of the hottest prospects in NXT unfortunately fell to a knee injury.
Tegan Nox (formerly known as Nixon Newell on the UK scene) injured her left knee following a dive in a match against Rhea Ripley. Nox attempted to fight on however the referee had to throw up the dreaded ‘X’ symbol and the match had to be ended, with Nox herself throwing up an ‘X’ signifying how hurt she was. Nox was visibly in tears leaving the ring and the fans in attendance gave her a standing ovation.
Triple H appeared in the ring later in the evening to confirm that Nox was carried out with a “broken heart, not a broken knee.”
The ‘Girl With the Shiniest Wizard’ has now issued a statement on Twitter following her injury, claiming that “this is more mentally draining than it is physically but you can guarantee that this isn’t going to keep me down!” Nox went on to say that “freak accidents happen, it’s part of the job but to hear that she [Rhea] had a killer match with one of the best wrestlers in the world Io Shirai made my heart swell with happiness.”
