The controversy surrounding Nixon Newell (Tegan Nox in WWE) and Miranda Alize’s canceled AEW Collision match continues to escalate, with new reports suggesting that the fallout may be far more serious than initially believed.
According to the Wrestling Observer, despite Newell and Alize’s calm explanation of events on their Twitch stream, there’s now significant backstage resentment over how things went down. Sources within AEW told the outlet that both women are unlikely to be booked again following what many described as an unprofessional decision to walk away from the show.
“I heard from a lot of people as the show was going on,” one source told the Observer. “Maybe Tony (Khan) told them there were no hard feelings. Hard feelings is the wrong word. Bad blood. There were so many people that were like, ‘What a stupid thing to do.’ That’s the one thing I heard over and over, ‘What a stupid thing to do.’”
Newell and Alize had been scheduled to team up against Anna Jay and Tay Conti on Collision. This would have been their second match in All Elite Wrestling after debuting in a losing effort against Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir on the previous episode – a match that reportedly had its own share of creative disagreements.
During that first match, sources told Fightful Select and PWInsider that Nixon Newell wasn’t happy with how the match was structured, particularly that Bayne – who AEW is establishing as a dominant powerhouse – wasn’t instructed to “sell” enough for her and Alize. AEW producers pushed back, citing that unsigned talent typically don’t have creative say in those kinds of match dynamics.
That tension apparently carried over into the second booking. For Collision, Newell and Alize were informed their match would run about three minutes, which they felt was too short to tell a compelling story or follow up on the promo they had filmed. They proposed alternate ideas, but were told the timing could not be adjusted.
The two ultimately chose to leave the building, informing AEW officials that the bout “wouldn’t benefit anyone” and that they didn’t want to take part in a rushed segment.
They stressed on their Twitch stream that it wasn’t a heated exit – they thanked the company, spoke with everyone involved, and were told they were free to go if they wished.
Despite their explanation, it appears that AEW higher-ups and much of the locker room viewed the situation differently. The Wrestling Observer noted that many backstage found their decision to walk out “baffling” and believed it damaged their reputation with the company.
There was also said to be surprise within AEW that the duo were even booked again, given the issues surrounding their first match. One source told the Observer that while AEW may not hold personal grudges, it’s “very unlikely” that Newell and Alize will be invited back.
Newell, however, seems at peace with where she stands. On her Twitch stream, she shared that she’s likely only got about a year left in wrestling, and intends to focus on projects that are fun rather than political. She made it clear that her decision wasn’t about ego or refusing to lose – it was about wanting her matches to mean something as she nears the end of her career.
