Nyla Rose is a prominent wrestler in AEW’s women’s division. She will be the only woman on the roster to wrestle in the highest profile women’s wrestling match in AEW, two events in a row. Nyla recently sat down with Sports Illustrated and discussed many topics, including how she started in wrestling, her transition to becoming a woman and how she signed with AEW.
On transitioning-
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
Nyla Rose
She thought her transitioning might have ended any prospects for a full-fledged wrestling career until a fateful trip to West Virginia six years ago. While working on a film production crew, she spotted a flier advertising a local show that night. She showed up to the venue and was granted a tryout by the promotion’s owner, Cody Covey, who was impressed enough by her skills in the ring that he offered her a spot on the card.
Rose wanted Covey to know that she was a trans woman. “I just didn’t want him to catch any flack,” Rose says. “He was like, ‘That’s cool, I don’t care. Can you wrestle?’ For him to have that vote of confidence and just not care, it was incredibly emotionally overwhelming.” When Rose returned backstage after her match, she wept. “It kind of all hit me,” Rose says, “that I don’t have to give up on my dream.”
Sports Illustrated
On Kenny Omega being the one to sign her-
Eventually Rose’s work found its way in front of Omega, leading to that life-changing message. It was especially fitting that of all of AEW’s stars, it was Omega that contacted her. When Rose had trained at the Marvelous dojo in Japan, her fellow wrestlers had nicknamed her Kenny Omega Hair because of how Rose’s natural curls resembled the Canadian star’s. A game Rose—who describes herself as a “huge” Omega fan—entertained her colleagues in kind by impersonating Omega and his “goodbye and goodnight” catchphrase around the dojo.
Even once she wrapped her head around Omega’s interest on behalf of AEW, Rose expected to be brought in for a one-off deal. Instead she signed a full-time contract and was featured in AEW’s first women’s match
AEW has felt that I am worthy of a chance,” she says. “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.
Sports Illustrated
Nyla’s next match will be at Fyter Fest in a triple threat against Yuka Sakazaki and Riho
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