Steve Carrier on January 20, 2026
Nixon Newell is pushing back hard on the narrative surrounding her AEW exit — but the bigger picture still isn’t as clean as she’s making it sound.
While appearing on The Wrestling Classic podcast, Newell addressed her sudden departure from AEW and the long-discussed situation involving her and Miranda Alize declining to work their scheduled match on AEW Collision. She dismissed the idea that there was any drama, frustration, or fallout behind the scenes.
“There were no negative feelings on anyone’s side… it just wasn’t meant to be.”
She also took direct aim at wrestling media outlets, accusing them of spreading incorrect information and manufacturing drama.
“They like to spread stuff that isn’t correct and get false information… they stopped when I called them out directly.”
Newell’s version paints the situation as calm, mutual, and drama‑free. The problem is… that directly contradicts detailed reporting that came out immediately after the incident. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer openly disputed the idea that there was no backstage heat following the walkout.
“I can tell you that that’s not true. Maybe Tony told them there were no hard feelings, but there were so many people that were like, ‘What a stupid thing to do.’ That’s the one thing I heard over and over.”
Meltzer also pointed out that the issue wasn’t simply about wanting more match time — it was about leverage, timing, and professionalism within the structure of a live TV show.
“They’re not under contract. If you want to do something there, first get over. There are people who can get away with things because they have leverage… they had no leverage.”
“They wanted to have a competitive 10‑minute match, but the show was laid out and they didn’t have 10 minutes for them. And that was that.”
According to the same reporting, AEW replaced Newell and Alize with Maya World and Hyan, and internally the situation damaged their standing significantly.
“All I know is I do not expect these two to be booked in AEW.”
That’s the part Newell’s update doesn’t address. She’s framing the situation as media distortion — but the reality is that the original reports never claimed she was malicious, only that the decision had consequences backstage. Her own earlier explanation about declining the match due to time constraints actually aligns with the Observer account, not contradicts it.
What seems more likely is not that the reports were false — but that she simply doesn’t like how the situation made her look. And that’s understandable. No wrestler wants their name attached to “walkout,” “heat,” or “backstage frustration.” But multiple sources saying the same thing doesn’t suddenly become inaccurate just because the person involved disagrees with the optics.
If nothing else, this entire situation highlights the gap between how wrestlers want situations perceived publicly and how companies actually view those moments internally.
Do you think Nixon Newell is telling the full story here — or is this just damage control now that the narrative didn’t go her way? Would you still want to see her get another opportunity in AEW, or has that door already closed?
What do you think of Nixon Newell setting the record straight about her AEW departure?
Drop your thoughts in the comments — and let us know if you’d like to see her return to WWE, TNA, or maybe even NJPW!
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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