wrestling / News

Nyla Rose Doesn’t Take Her New Spotlight As AEW’s First Trans Wrestler Lightly, Wants to Win Over Her Skeptics

June 18, 2019 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas

– Nyla Rose spoke with Sports Illustrated for a new interview discussing her signing with AEW, being a transgender women within the wrestling industry and more. Highlights are below:

On suddenly having a spotlight as first trans wrestler signed to a major US promotion: “A few months ago here you are thinking you’re this little speck on this giant blue planet. Now suddenly you’re thrust into this position like, oh holy crap, I can make a difference. So I don’t take that lightly.”

On initially being reluctant to come out as trans: “My mother made no secret of how proud she was of me before (transitioning) and how she had the child that she wanted. I never wanted to take that away from her. I felt on some level like I would be stealing her happiness, as crazy as that may sound. There was a point of no return where I was like, I have to do this for me. I’m sorry. I tried to be who you wanted me to be. I tried to live for other people, but at a certain point I had to stop doing that for my own health and wellbeing. I had to be myself.”

On her detractors: “As much negativity that I do see, I do see much more love and acceptance. It’s just that sadly negative things seem to get highlighted more than positive things. If I can bear the weight, if I can hold up all the hatred and everything and carry that on my back, I know that I’m strong enough to do it. If the people out there need to beat me up and I need to absorb that so that the next generation, the youth, can have an easier time, I gladly welcome that.”

On wanting to help establish AEW’s women’s division: “I’m really hoping to set the tone and set the pace and create that environment that’s going to fuel the next generation. Not just trans people, but inspire anybody to say, ‘Hey, these women lit that on fire. I want to be that. I want to do that.'”

On her hopes to win over her skeptics: “AEW has felt that I am worthy of a chance. All I can ask is that some of the people out there, the fans who might be a little bit tight-minded, just give me a chance to show you what I can do in the ring. That’s all.”

article topics :

AEW, Nyla Rose, Jeremy Thomas