Nyla Rose has delivered a forceful response while reflecting on the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission’s warning to AEW following a December 2023 event in the state. The former AEW Women’s World Champion called the commission “hateful bigots” and criticized the body’s broader role in regulating professional wrestling.
Rose, an AEW original known as “The Native Beast,” was the subject of a controversy after the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission, also known as OSAC, alleged that her appearance violated the state’s 2021 law concerning transgender athletes competing against cisgender athletes. During discussion of the matter, the commission repeatedly misgendered Rose.
The issue drew a public response from AEW President Tony Khan within days of the warning. Khan said he was surprised by the commission’s action, while making clear that AEW supported Rose and transgender people participating in sports.
In a new interview with Denise Salcedo, Rose revisited the matter in direct terms and made no effort to disguise her anger toward the commission.
For more background on this topic, read Jim Ross Urges Support for ALS Research After AEW’s Rebel Heart Dynamite Tribute.
“To be perfectly blunt, hateful bigots with no basis for anything – the Athletic Commission is a scam. They’re just a bunch of greedy people who have found an avenue to work people out of money and they’re using new laws and loopholes to do what they want to do basically.”
Rose’s comments underline how strongly she continues to feel about an incident that became one of the more significant public confrontations between a major wrestling promotion and a state athletic commission. The dispute was not simply about one match or one night of programming. It put a spotlight on the treatment of a transgender wrestler who had already made history on a national wrestling stage.
Rose became the first AEW Women’s World Champion in 2019, a landmark accomplishment during AEW’s first year. As one of the company’s foundational women’s division stars, her title reign and continued presence helped establish the division in its earliest form. Her identity as a transgender woman has also made her an important visible figure within the wrestling industry.
That context made the Oklahoma warning especially notable. Rose was not an unknown independent wrestler entering a local promotion without a national profile. She was a former world champion from a major organization, and the commission’s decision to single out her participation led to a wider discussion about athletic regulation, discrimination, and the position of transgender performers in pro wrestling.
Tony Khan’s Immediate Support Stood Out to Rose
Khan responded publicly after the commission’s warning and stated that he did not believe transgender wrestlers or transgender people should face discrimination. He also made clear that AEW stood with Rose.
“I don’t think there should be discrimination against transgender wrestlers or transgender people at all. They have rights, and to that end, I absolutely stand by Nyla Rose. AEW stands behind Nyla Rose and all transgender people who want to play sports.”
For Rose, the speed and certainty of that response was meaningful. Speaking with Salcedo, she said she had not expected Khan to step in so quickly and unequivocally, even though his statement ultimately left no doubt about AEW’s position.
“I was very shocked. I was very surprised and incredibly grateful that he would with zero hesitation, like there was no thought there. He knew the right side of history to be on and that’s where he stood 10 toes down. And for someone of his caliber, in his position to do that, he absolutely did not have to, but he did. That speaks a lot about who he is as a person and who he is as a man and I am so grateful to him for that.”
The remarks offer a clear indication of how personally important Khan’s backing was to Rose. Corporate statements in wrestling can often be carefully worded and limited to the immediate business concern. In this case, Khan’s comments went beyond acknowledging the situation. He directly rejected discrimination against transgender people and framed AEW’s support of Rose as part of a wider principle.
Rose’s appreciation also reflects the stakes that come with a wrestler being publicly targeted by a government-connected regulatory body. A performer can be accustomed to criticism from fans, opponents, or social media, but an athletic commission carries a different kind of institutional weight. Rose’s reaction shows why AEW’s decision to answer the warning publicly mattered as much as it did.
An AEW Original Still Active Across Wrestling
Although Rose has not appeared on AEW programming since 2024, she has remained active in professional wrestling. Her time away from AEW television has not represented an exit from the ring. Instead, Rose has continued to compete internationally and on the independent scene.
Her recent work has included appearances for EVE, Marvelous, Marigold, and MPX Wrestling. That schedule has kept Rose active across different promotions and audiences, demonstrating the breadth of her experience and the demand for her work outside of weekly national television.
Rose also currently holds the AAAW Tag Team Championship alongside Nightshade. The championship adds another active accomplishment to a career that already includes her historic AEW Women’s World Championship run. For a wrestler who has worked in a variety of environments, tag-team success provides another avenue to show a different side of her in-ring presence.
Her ongoing schedule is relevant to the Oklahoma matter because it demonstrates that Rose’s career has continued despite the controversy. She remains a working wrestler with championship status, international opportunities, and a place in promotions across the independent landscape. Her return to the subject is therefore not the reflection of someone removed from wrestling. It comes from an active performer who remains connected to the realities faced by talent in different jurisdictions and promotions.
The Broader Issue Facing Wrestling Promotions
Professional wrestling occupies a distinctive position whenever questions of athletic commission authority arise. It is a physically demanding form of performance that is frequently regulated through systems connected to combat sports, even though wrestling’s competitive outcomes are predetermined. That framework can create friction when a commission seeks to apply laws or standards to wrestling performers in ways that the promotion and talent view as inappropriate or discriminatory.
The 2023 situation involving Rose brought that tension into public view. The commission claimed that Rose had violated Oklahoma’s 2021 law, while AEW’s president publicly defended her right to participate. The clash was not presented as a routine disagreement about licensing or event procedure. It became a debate involving transgender inclusion, personal dignity, and whether a wrestler should be treated differently because of her identity.
Rose’s accusation that the commission used “new laws and loopholes” to act as it wanted is her assessment of the body and its conduct. Her comments do not minimize the seriousness of the original warning; instead, they make clear that she believes the warning lacked a legitimate basis and was driven by prejudice.
The repeated misgendering cited during the commission’s meeting remains a central part of why the episode has resonated. Language matters in any public proceeding, particularly when the discussion concerns the right of a transgender person to participate in their profession. For Rose, the commission’s conduct and the warning itself appear inseparable.
Rose Remains Firm in Her Position
Rose did not offer a softened retrospective on the dispute. Her language was pointed, and her account made clear that the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission has not earned her respect in the time since the warning was issued. At the same time, her comments about Khan were notably warm and grateful.
That contrast defines the story. Rose believes a regulatory body treated her with hostility and disrespect, but she also remembers her employer acting immediately to support her in public. Khan’s stance did not erase the incident, but it gave Rose an important ally at a moment when she was being challenged on a highly personal level.
As Rose continues her work with promotions including EVE, Marvelous, Marigold, MPX Wrestling, and alongside Nightshade as AAAW Tag Team Champion, the Oklahoma controversy remains part of her career’s public record. Her latest remarks ensure that the issue has not faded into a footnote. Rose remains resolute in condemning the commission, and equally resolute in recognizing the support AEW gave her when it counted.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.