Nixon Newell in PROGRESS Wrestling a rising star who shined bright

Before she became known to international audiences as Tegan Nox, Nixon Newell carved out a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting prospects and her brief but impactful run in PROGRESS Wrestling between 2016 and 2017 proved exactly why

Arriving on the scene at a time when the British wrestling landscape was booming with female talent, Newell’s technical ability, explosive strikes and high energy offence immediately connected with the crowd Nicknamed the girl with the shiniest wizard – a nod to her devastating Shining Wizard finisher – Newell brought a blend of speed, resilience and fighting spirit that made her a standout in PROGRESS’s growing women’s division

Newell’s PROGRESS debut came at Chapter 35 Writing Nirvana On Other People’s Bags at the Electric Ballroom in London, where she picked up a decisive victory over Alex Windsor It was a strong introduction, establishing her as a dynamic presence in the ring with crisp offence and a strong crowd connection

She continued to make her mark at Chapter 36 We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Room Again, competing in a six woman tag team bout alongside Laura Di Matteo and Pollyanna against Windsor, Dahlia Black and Jinny at the O2 Academy Brixton Despite being on the losing side, Newell’s performance once again highlighted her versatility in tag team settings

Arguably her most important appearances came during Natural Progression Series IV, a tournament designed to elevate rising stars in the women’s division At Chapter 39 The Graps of Wrath, she defeated Katey Harvey in the first round, impressing with a combination of technical prowess and agility However, her run came to an end at Chapter 45 Galvanize, where she was defeated by Jinny in the semi finals The match was short but intense, and it played into Jinny’s rise as a dominant heel in the division

Newell’s final PROGRESS appearance came at Chapter 41 Unboxing Live in December 2016, teaming with FSU Eddie Dennis and Mark Andrews in a six person tag match They defeated the South Pacific Power Trip Dahlia Black, TK Cooper and Travis Banks in a crowd pleasing clash, closing out her PROGRESS run with a flourish

Match recap includes Nixon Newell vs Alex Windsor at Chapter 35, Nixon Newell, Laura Di Matteo and Pollyanna vs Jinny, Dahlia Black and Alex Windsor at Chapter 36, Nixon Newell vs Katey Harvey at Chapter 39, Nixon Newell vs Jinny at Chapter 45 and FSU and Nixon Newell vs South Pacific Power Trip at Chapter 41 Unboxing Live

Despite never holding gold in PROGRESS, Nixon Newell’s performances laid the groundwork for her ascent Her connection with the crowd and her ability to thrive against top talent helped her stand out in a deep women’s roster By early 2017, she had become one of the UK’s most talked about independent names – a trajectory that soon brought her to WWE’s attention

In 2017, Newell signed with WWE and joined the NXT brand However, her early years in the company were marred by devastating injuries Just ahead of the 2017 Mae Young Classic, she suffered a torn ACL that kept her out of the tournament A second injury in 2018 – another torn ACL in the opposite knee – further delayed her debut

Finally, in 2019, she began appearing on NXT under the ring name Tegan Nox With her comeback story resonating strongly, she quickly became a fan favourite Nox formed alliances with the likes of Dakota Kai, but their friendship notoriously fell apart at NXT TakeOver WarGames 2019, when Kai turned on her in a now iconic betrayal that sparked one of NXT’s best feuds of the year

Nox’s resilience, emotional storytelling and crisp in ring work earned her widespread praise She feuded with Kai, competed in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and challenged for the NXT Women’s Championship during her time in the brand

In 2021, she was called up to the WWE main roster, forming a short lived tag team with Shotzi Despite some televised victories, Nox was released from WWE in late 2021 during a wave of talent cuts

In late 2022, Triple H re signed Nox during his first months leading creative She returned to the main roster on SmackDown, reuniting with old rivals and establishing herself once more as an underdog fan favourite She competed regularly across Raw and SmackDown throughout 2023 and 2024, facing top names such as Bayley, Iyo Sky and Natalya

Though not yet a champion in WWE, her journey – marked by resilience through injury, passionate comebacks and a strong fan following – continues to evolve With the depth of experience gained in places like PROGRESS and her hard earned place on the global stage, Nixon Newell remains a standout figure in modern women’s wrestling

From the graps heavy ballrooms of PROGRESS to WWE’s grand arenas, Nixon Newell’s path has been one of both talent and tenacity Her time in PROGRESS offered a glimpse of greatness and everything she’s achieved since has only proven it true.

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