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Oklahoma regulator warns AEW after transgender pro wrestler's match: Nyla Rose responds

Posted: Apr 18th 2024 By: Dale Denwalt

In January, the state agency that regulates combative sports in Oklahoma warned one of the nation's top professional wrestling companies about letting a transgender female perform in the ring with another woman.

The warning came after All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Nyla Rose appeared in a match at the Paycom Center in December. Rose, who signed with AEW in 2019, is the first openly transgender wrestler signed with a major pro wrestling company.

Florida-based AEW is the country's second-biggest promotion behind WWE.

At the Dec. 20 event at the Paycom Center, which was broadcast under the AEW subsidiary Ring of Honor promotion, Rose appeared in a match with Alejandra Lion. A few weeks later, the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission issued a formal warning to AEW.

The Athletic Commission unanimously voted to "warn AEW not to do this again or there will be punitive action made against them if they do." The news was first reported by Real Rasslin'.

When the news broke this week, other AEW performers and locally based pro wrestlers spoke out, criticizing the Athletic Commission. Rose posted her own satirical comment saying she'll "find the dastardly Transgender that *checks notes* entertained fans."

In a call with reporters on Thursday, AEW President Tony Khan said he was shocked and disappointed.

"I don't think there should be discrimination against transgender wrestlers or transgender people at all," Khan said. "They have rights, and to that end, I absolutely stand by Nyla Rose."

Khan said Rose is an important part of AEW and has contributed significantly both to the community and to her fellow wrestlers.

Oklahoma's history of issues with transgender athletes

The warning is the latest effort by Oklahoma's government to regulate transgender participation in sporting events. Oklahoma's political leaders have waged a campaign to "save women's sports" by requiring anyone competing in school-based women's sports to be born a female.

The Athletic Commission turned its sights on AEW because when Nyla Rose filled out her wrestling license application, she listed her gender as female.

According to longstanding commission rules, a match between a man and woman will not be sanctioned, regardless of whether it's professional boxing, mixed-martial arts or even professional wrestling. Unlike other combative sports, the outcome of pro wrestling matches are planned in advance, and the combat is choreographed and often practiced before the show.

Independent wrestling promoter Brandan Bulmer, who runs shows in Oklahoma City with Unified Wrestling Oklahoma, said it shouldn't matter whether men and women wrestle each other.

"It's kind of crazy that it's come to this, and it's just so really ridiculous," said Bulmer, who is known by his stage name Drake Gallows. "This was not an issue five years ago. We would do things called mixed tag team matches, where it would be any gender versus any gender. But now, you know, things are all starting to blur."

Ruling affects local promotions, wrestlers

Bulmer said that while he supports the Athletic Commission and its mission of ensuring the health and safety of performers, his main issue is the inconsistent application of rules during an event. Several months before the AEW show where Rose performed, Bulmer scheduled a female wrestler to participate in a battle royale match.

"I had the young lady come in the ring and she absolutely destroyed five guys. She beat the snot out them. She threw them all out of the ring and it was down to her and one other guy," he said.

The other guy eliminated her with a kick that knocked her out of the ring.

"After that event, I was given a warning and I was threatened with a court date, and I was threatened with $1,000 fine. And every single one of those people, those five people were given suspensions," Bulmer said.

The Athletic Commission's stance on transgender wrestlers is causing anxiety among performers, including two trans individuals being trained by Bulmer who are undergoing hormone therapy.

"I had one of them ask me, 'Where do you see me on the card? Where do I fall in?'" Bulmer said. "I can't give them a straight answer because I don't know what's going to happen with all this nonsense."

Bulmer said Oklahoma currently has just seven or eight licensed female pro wrestlers. With such a low number, they've grown tired of only wrestling each other. It's also hard for promoters to schedule more than just two at the same time, he said.