Steffanie Newell (November 15, 1994) is a Welsh professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Tegan Nox. Newell previously wrestled on the British independent circuit under the ring name Nixon Newell, most notably for promotions such as ATTACK! Pro Wrestling, Progress, Fight Club: Pro and What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW).
Early life[]
As a child, Newell played football for a number of teams in her area and at one point took part in trials for both Cardiff City and the Welsh national team. At age 13, she suffered a knee injury which would ultimately cost her a place on the Wales Under-16 team. When she finally turned 16, she gave up football, instead planning on taking a long hiatus from all sports, citing her knee injury and a lack of passion for the sport as her reasons.
Shortly after quitting football, she found a professional wrestling school in Port Talbot and began training under Dave Stewart and "Wild Boar" Mike Hitchman. She said that the encouragement of her late grandfather to pursue a career in professional wrestling was her main inspiration. Outside of football, she played netball and tag rugby. Despite playing football for the majority of her childhood, Newell grew up as a fan of professional wrestling after being introduced to it at the age of five and cites Molly Holly as her favourite female wrestler and dream opponent.
Professional wrestling career[]
Attack! Pro Wrestling (2014–2016)[]
Newell debuted in ATTACK! Pro Wrestling in July 2014, competing three times on the same show. Firstly she defeated Lana Austin and later in the evening teamed with Austin to defeat Mark Andrews and Pete Dunne to win the Attack! 24/7 Championship for the second time in her career. Later that night, Newell and Austin lost the championship to Mike Bird in a handicap match. On October 28, Newell returned to Attack!, teaming with Ethan Silver and losing to Andrews and Dunne. She faced Andrews and Dunne in a losing effort once again on December 20, this time teaming with Chris Brookes as the Culture Squad.
Newell debuted her Luchadora The Explorer character on January 24, 2015, teaming with Brookes in a loss to The Anti-Fun Police (Damian Dunne and Ryan Smile). She competed as Luchadora once again on February 14, winning a special invitational scramble match. In June, she and Brookes lost a handicap match to Wild Boar. On October 18, Newell and Brookes teamed up with Kid Lykos, losing to Mike Bird, Ramses and Super Santos Sr. In January 2016, Newell aligned herself with Mark Andrews, forming the extremely popular team known as Bayside High. In their first match as a team, Newell and Andrews defeated #CCK (Brookes and Kid Lykos). On April 1, Bayside High teamed up with Sebastian Radclaw to defeat Kid Lykos (now known as Mondai Lykos) and The Anti-Fun Police. Two days later on April 3, Bayside High became the new Attack: Pro! Tag Team Champions, defeating #CCK. The duo retained the titles until August, when they lost them back to CCK in a TLC match.
In late 2016, Newell turned into a heel, abandoning Bayside High and aligning herself with Pete Dunne. In their first match together, Dunne and Newell (dressed as the Suicide Squad iterations of The Joker and Harley Quinn, respectively) defeated Martin Kirby and El Ligero (dressed as Kevin Owens and El Generico, respectively). On November 20, Newell and Dunne teamed with CCK and Shay Purser as the Bruiserweights, facing the Jim Leegion (Mark Andrews, Eddie Dennis, Martin Kirby, El Ligero and Attack! Pro general manager Jim Lee) in a five-man elimination tag team match, won by the Leegion. On 18 December, Newell and CCK lost to Bowl-A-Rama (Lloyd Katt and Splits McPins) and Tyler Bate.
Progress Wrestling (2016)[]
Newell debuted for Progress Wrestling on August 28, 2016, defeating Alex Windsor. The following month, she teamed with Laura Di Matteo and Pollyanna, facing Windsor, Jinny and Dahlia Black in a losing effort. On November 27, she entered the Natural Progression Series IV Tournament (a single elimination tournament to crown the first ever Progress Women's Champion), defeating Katey Harvey in the first round. She returned to Progress once again on December 30, teaming with FSU (Mark Andrews and Eddie Dennis) to defeat The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper, Travis Banks and Dahlia Black).
Shimmer Women Athletes (2016)[]
Newell debuted for the American all-female promotion Shimmer Women Athletes at Volume 81, first losing to Veda Scott and then losing to Nicole Matthews the following day at Volume 82. At Volume 84, Newell picked up her first win in Shimmer, defeating Scott. At Volume 85, Newell took part in a fatal four-way match, won by Courtney Rush and also featuring Viper and Vanessa Kraven. Newell returned at volume 86, defeating Cat Power. At Volume 88, Newell was defeated by Mercedes Martinez, but she was victorious at Volume 89, defeating LuFisto. She was again defeated by Kay Lee Ray at Volume 90.
What Culture Pro Wrestling (2016–2017)[]
Newell debuted for What Culture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) on July 27 at Loaded #5, defeating Bea Priestley, but was defeated by Priestley the following day. On August 24, Newell and Priestley faced off once again, this time in a last woman standing match to crown the first ever WCPW Women's Champion, won by Newell. She made her first successful defence on September 15, defeating Alex Windsor and Winter at Loaded #11. On October 6, she retained the title against Kimber Lee and once again defeated Lee to retain at True Legacy, this time in a street fight with Melina as the special guest referee. She retained the title against Priestley once again at Loaded #19, this time by disqualification. After the match, she was attacked by Priestley's Pacitti Club stablemates The Swords of Essex, putting her out of action and Priestley stealing her title and declaring herself "the true Women's Champion". Newell made her return at WCPW True Destiny in February, replacing Tessa Blanchard in a match against Priestley which Newell won. The following day on 13 February 2017, Newell lost the WCPW Women's Championship to Bea Priestley in a no disqualification match.
World Wonder Ring Stardom (2017)[]
In January 2017, Newell embarked on her first tour of Japan, competing with the all-female promotion Stardom. In her first match on the tour, she and Kay Lee Ray defeated Oedo Tai (Kris Wolf and Viper). On 7 January, Newell, Ray and Shayna Baszler defeated Kairi Hojo, Konami and Mayu Iwatani. The following day, Newell and Ray defeated Hojo and Konami in a tag team match. On 15 January, Ray and Newell unsuccessfully challenged Hojo and Yoko Bito for the Goddess of Stardom Championship. On 29 January, Newell challenged Hojo for the Wonder of Stardom Championship, losing after a diving elbow from Hojo.
World Wrestling Entertainment[]
NXT (2017–2021)[]
In April 2017, it was reported that Newell had signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and would immediately report when her visa were complete to travel.
It was reported that Newell was replaced in the WWE Mae Young Classic after sustaining a torn ACL before the start of the tournament. Newell returned to the ring in 2018 at the April 13 live event, making her NXT in-ring debut, where she teamed up with Dakota Kai in a tag team match to defeat Reina González and Vanessa Borne. She returned the following week with Kai during the April 19 live event, defeating Aliyah & Kavita Devi. The following night, Newell won her first victory during the April 20 live event defeating Vanessa Borne. The following night, Newell and Dakota Kai teamed during the April 21 live event, defeating The IIconics (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce). The following week, Newell returned with Dakota Kai at the April 27 live event defeating Reina Gonzalez & Vanessa Borne. She finished the month with a title match during the April 28 live event, losing against the reigning NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler.
The following month, Newell returned during the May 3 live event, losing to Bianca Belair. During the May 4 live event, Newell teamed with Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane in a tag match lost to Aliyah, Kavita Devi, Shayna Baszler & Vanessa Borne. She wrestled during the 9 May taping of NXT (aired for the 6 June episode of NXT), losing to Vanessa Borne in a dark match. During the 10 May taping of NXT (aired for the June 13 episode of NXT), Newell appeared in a dark match teaming with Kacy Catanzaro & Dakota Kai in defeating Reina Gonzalez, Taynara Conti & Vanessa Borne. During the 11 May house show of NXT, Newell teamed with Dakota Kai in defeating Bianca Belair & Vanessa Borne. The following week, Newell returned for the May 17 live event, she lost to Bianca Belair. Two nights later, Newell returned for the May 19 live event, teaming with Kacy Catanzaro in defeating Bianca Belair & Vanessa Borne. She finished the month with a match during the May 25 live event, teaming with Dakota Kai, Nikki Cross in defeating Aliyah, Reina Gonzalez & Rhea Ripley. The following month Newell returned for the June 1 live event, teaming with Dakota Kai in tag match defeating Reina Gonzalez & Taynara Conti. On 8 June, debuting her new ring name Tegan Nox, she wrestled during the opening night of the 2018 NXT At Download in Leicestershire, England, teaming with Scottish NXT recruit Nikki Cross in a tag match defeating Isla Dawn & Shayna Baszler. During the second night of NXT At Download, Nox teamed with Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai in defeating Bianca Belair, Lacey Evans & Nina Samuels. Two months later on August 8, Nox returned to the ring to compete in the second annual Mae Young Classic during which she advanced in the opening rounds after eliminating Chilean luchador Zatara. During the following night of the tournament, Nox advanced in the second rounds after eliminating Nicole Matthews. Later that night, Nox was eliminated during the Quarter Finals by Rhea Ripley after the referee stopped the match.
Personal life[]
Newell wears an awareness ribbon on all of her ring attires as a tribute to her grandfather.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- The Shiniest Wizard
- Vulture Culture Destroyer/Welsh Destroyer (Front flip piledriver)
- Double Chickenwing Facebuster
- Signature moves
- Chokehold STO
- Diving crossbody
- Headbutt
- Molly-Go-Round – adopted from Molly Holly
- Nos Da (Rolling cutter)
- Suicide dive
- Nixon's Knot
- Misery Business (Fireman's carry stunner)
- The Hitch / CannonBOAR (adopted from Wild Boar)
- Bitter End (adopted from Pete Dunne)
- X-Plex (adopted from Pete Dunne)
- Chokeslam (adopted from Kane)
- Nicknames
- "The Girl With The Shiniest Wizard"
- Lady Kane
- Vixen of the Valleys
- The Bruiserwitch
- Queen of the Crossbody
- Entrance music
- "Everybody Wants to Newell the World" (WCPW)
- "C'est La Vie" by B*Witched (independent circuit)
- "Chicane Boys" by Jimmy Kaleth (NXT)
Championships and accomplishments[]
- ATTACK! Pro Wrestling
- ATTACK! 24:7 Championship (3 times) with Lana Austin (1)
- ATTACK! Tag Team Championship with Mark Andrews
- British Empire Wrestling
- British Empire Woman's Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked her #178 in the 2024 PWI Top 250 Females
- Southside Wrestling Entertainment
- Queen Of Southside Championship (1 time)
- SWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) with PJ Black
External links[]
| Mae Young Classic 2018 contestants |
|---|
| Aerial Monroe • Allysin Kay • Ashley Rayne • Deonna Purrazzo • Hiroyo Matsumoto • Io Shirai • Isla Dawn • Jinny • Kacy Catanzaro • Jessica Elaban • Kaitlyn • Karen Q • Kavita Devi • Killer Kelly • Lacey Lane • Meiko Satomura • Mercedes Martinez • Mia Yim • MJ Jenkins • Nicole Matthews • Priscilla Kelly • Rachel Evers • Reina Gonzalez • Rhea Ripley • Taynara Conti • Tegan Nox • Toni Storm • Vanessa Kraven • Xia Brookside • Xia Li • Zatara • Zeuxis |
