WWE NXT's Tegan Nox: Harry Potter link to coming out as a lesbian, here's a look at the 25-year-old's journey
There has been a lot of talk on women empowerment over the years. True empowerment happens when a woman breaks the so-called ‘societal norms’ and becomes an inspiration to the world – men and women alike. Steffanie Rhiannon Newell, better known as Tegan Nox, her WWE NXT ring name, is one such personality who seems to be on that path. A recent Sports Illustrated article names her as one of NXT’s emerging wrestlers.
According to the article, 25-year-old Nox works an entertaining style in the ring and she has a loyal fan base in an era where that has become increasingly difficult to do. Her future is bright and may contain a lot of gold championships. In fact, Nox also has her future plans charted out. As quoted by Sports Illustrated, she said, “When I win the NXT Women’s Championship, I’m never taking it off. Everything I do, it’s coming everywhere with me.” She gave a tough fight to Io Shirai in the July 15 match, a spot she earned to become the NXT Women’s Champion after beating Mia Yim, Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai in a four-way elimination match. Unfortunately, she was defeated by Shirai. But on July 29, in tag team match Shirai collaborated with Nox against Dakota Kai and Candice LeRae and the former duo were a sight to behold as they defeated their opponents.
A look at Nox's journey so far
Her ring name is a tribute to both her Welsh heritage and to the Harry Potter franchise. In an interview to Digital Spy, she explained her moniker: “Tegan is a Welsh name. It means toy and Nox is actually a Harry Potter spell.” She further added, “I’m a massive Harry Potter fan. That's why my nickname is also 'the girl with the shiniest wizard'.”
The 25-year-old grew up in Wales, playing soccer as a child. She discovered pro-wrestling at the age of 16. And ever since, as Sports Illustrated reports, it has been her dream to become an international presence in the business. However, her source of inspiration is her five-year-old nephew back in UK. The Sports Illustrated story quotes her saying, “I’ve got three nephews, but there is one, Charlie, who is five, he’s my driving force,” said Nox. “He’s a religious watcher, and he rings me every week to tell me he’s watched me wrestle. He’s so proud of me when he goes to school and says, ‘That’s my aunty on the TV.’ I do this for him, as well as my own love for the business. I love when he rings me every week, either telling me I suck for losing or he’s so proud of me for winning.”
Initially, she wrestled on the British independent circuit under the ring name Nixon Newell, and was part of promotions such as Attack! Pro Wrestling, Progress Wrestling, What Culture Pro Wrestling, and Fight Club: Pro.
However, her professional journey has been marred with injuries. According to Newsweek, Nox was signed to the WWE in 2017 and was set to participate in that year's Mae Young Classic. But she tore her ACL before the tournament began and was replaced. A year later, she made a big mark in the 2018 Mae Young Classic, using her previous injury as motivation to go far in the tournament. Nox made it to the quarterfinals against Rhea Ripley but unfortunately couldn’t finish the match after tearing multiple ligaments in her other knee.
Another fact for which fans and others have been praising her for coming out openly as lesbian this July. She posted a photo on Instagram along with girlfriend Sierra St. Pierre in front of Hogwarts at Universal Studios, with the caption: ‘Life is good’. Talking about her decision to come out to Newsweek, Nox said, “My life has always been a "don't ask, don't tell" situation, but I felt like it was the right time, especially when you've found the right one you're in love with. It was the right time to do that.”
With her strong determination and positivity, we hope to see her win more laurels in the future in both her personal and professional life.