Welcome to Diva Dirt’s Five to Watch 2014! This annual list compiles five rising talents in the world of women’s wrestling that we think have what it takes to be the next big thing.
RELATED: Diva Dirt’s Five to Watch Class of 2013
From their in-ring abilities to their unique personalities, we aim to spotlight some of the upcoming female talent that you may not yet know about. Over five days, we will unveil the names that the Diva Dirt staff have handpicked.
ONE TO WATCH: NIXON NEWELL
Who is she?: Hailing from the Welsh valleys, 20-year-old Steffanie “Nixon” Newell is a standout among the wealth of women’s talent that broke out on the UK independent scene this year, quickly developing a reputation as one of the toughest and hardest-working wrestlers on the circuit. Though still young, Nixon’s stock is growing relentlessly, and with the fans firmly behind her 2015 looks set to bring even greater things her way.
Her story so far: A promising footballer in her early teens, Nixon made the switch to wrestling at the age of 16, training at Welsh Wrestling in Port Talbot. After winning VIP tickets to TNA Slammiversary in 2013, she got the chance to talk to a host of her favourite stars and even have an on-camera interview with SoCal Val, gaining priceless experience in the process. While abroad, she also took the opportunity to step in the ring herself, taking on Heidi Lovelace at NWA:SAW and carving a very early notch into her international pedigree – something that she added to this year when she travelled to Germany in September to wrestle for WXW.
In the UK, Nixon can be found just about everywhere, gallivanting up and down the country most every weekend, wrestling men and women alike. Her tag team with Chris Brooks, The Vulture Squad, has fast become one of the UK’s most popular pairings, and in April she became the first woman to hold the ATTACK! 24/7 Championship (albeit only for a matter of minutes). She was also a regular fixture in the first few shows of fledgling women’s promotion LCW Roses, and this year has had the chance to face established stars such as Nikki Storm, Kay Lee Ray and Leah Von Dutch in singles action.
Why we chose her: Nixon Newell’s career may only be in its formative stages at this point, but she’s certainly doing things the right way, wrestling all over the UK and getting herself as much exposure as possible. A real student of the art form, Nixon has found herself able to adapt to any situation in wrestling, both in and out of the ring, and this hard work is seeing her reap the rewards. 2015 looks sure to be a huge year for Nixon on the UK independent scene, and with her surge in popularity only growing – and with the success of other British wrestlers in the US this year – we might well see Nixon get another North American tour under her belt. The sky’s the limit for this young’un, and I have no doubt that she can make it. After all, Nixon’s never been a quitter.
Follow Nixon on Twitter: @NixonNewell.
PREVIOUSLY: Tessa Blanchard
