Nyla Rose is one of the best wrestlers at AEW, and when she beat Alejandra Lion at a match in Oklahoma late last year, those who love Rose’s heel energy were ecstatic. Oklahoma, however, decided to threaten AEW with an absolutely ridiculous rule about transgender athletes.
In a January meeting for the Oklahoma Athletic Commission, they not only misgendered Nyla Rose but went on to insinuate that Rose wrestling against Lion was a violation of OSAC rules, according to meeting minutes released in April:
The Administrator, Joe Miller, explained that AEW, A professional wrestling organization, had an event at the Paycom Center on December 20, 2023, where a transgender wrestler (born male) had a match with a female wrestler. OSAC had no idea as the wrestler had filled his wrestling license application out as a female. OSAC was alerted by a local wrestling organization that had previously done the same thing. That organization acknowledged they knew that was a violation of the OSAC rules and that they would refrain from doing it again in the future.
The document went to talk about “male vs female wrestling” and the “issues” surrounding it:
Joe Miller explained that he called AEW and explained that it was a violation of the OSAC rules. He then asked the Commission if there was any other action, they would like to take against AEW. Mike Bower stated that the OSAC boxing, kickboxing and mma applications all ask if someone has had gender reassignment but the wrestling application does not. He stated that it needs to be updated so this doesn’t happen in the future. Commission members asked questions and discussed the issues that come along with male vs female wrestling.
Lots to unpack. To briefly put the transphobia and bigorty aside here, has anyone told Oklahoma that pro wrestling … isn’t real?
Nyla Rose isn’t letting this stop her
Rose saw the meeting notes in question and took to X to post a hilarious response about it. “WHO THE FUCK WAS IT?!! Don’t worry Oklahoma I’ll find the dastardly Transgender that *checks notes* entertained fans!!! HOW DARE THEY MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY?!!!” she wrote and … well, that’s a perfect response to Oklahoma’s transphobic response to her.
The absurd fights from cisgender bigots about transgender athletes competing with cisgender athletes is exhausting and, in this case, hilariously misguided. Organizations like the WWE and AEW are putting on a show. It is the theatrics of the wrestling that make fans tune in and it is … not really a wrestling match where you are competing in, say, a high school competitive wrestling match.
So for them to pull this on an AEW match? It’s actually baffling and hilarious, and personally, I hope that AEW goes back to Oklahoma and has Nyla Rose headlining and winning against whoever she fights. Just to spite them.
(featured image: Noam Galai/Getty Images for WarnerMedia Company)
