Nyla Rose Talks About Being AEW’s First Transgender Wrestler

AEW intend to live up to their core value that AEW is for everyone.

The promotion signed Nyla Rose to a full-time contract earlier this year. This signing saw her make history, becoming the first out transgender competitor to be signed by a major U.S. wrestling company.

Speaking with SI.com, Rose discussed her journey to AEW, and what it means to her to represent the trans community on such a large platform, claiming to be willing to shoulder the backlash that may come.

“As much negativity that I do see, I do see much more love and acceptance,” Rose said. “It’s just that sadly negative things seem to get highlighted more than positive things.”

She continued, ”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,” she said. “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.”

Looking to the future, Rose hopes to be able to set the tone, inspiring future wrestlers to pursue their dreams no matter their gender or sexuality.

“I’m really hoping to set the tone and set the pace and create that environment that’s going to fuel the next generation,” she said. “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.'”

“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.”

Despite signing and booking a transgender wrestler, All Elite Wrestling never made a point of it. None of their advertising or marketing revolved around Rose being transgender, focusing instead on the matchup at Double Or Nothing itself.