WRESTLE QUEEN TEGAN’S BACK IN THE RING
LAST year, Welsh WWE star Tegan Nox suffered a horrific injury while wrestling for WWE.
The 24-year-old sustained a dislocated kneecap, tearing several ligaments, a torn meniscus, bone contusions and a fracture in her left tibia.
Footage from backstage showed wrestling legend Triple H consoling her as she realised she faced being sidelined.
Now a year on, Tegan – who often heads down to the ring draped in a Welsh flag – is back doing what she does best.
In July, she said that she was “officially back... who wants to play?”
And on Saturday she was back where we she belongs – in the ring, and on home turf too.
Tegan took part in a match when the NXT UK series rolled into Cardiff – which also saw fellow Welsh wrestlers Mark Andrews and Gavin Watkins become tag-team champions.
Fans of Tegan will be delighted to see her back, particularly given how serious her injury was.
After her injury she said: “Being greeted backstage by the distraught faces of my friends and coaches was the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever experienced and it hurt more than the injury itself.
“Knowing how excited they were for me to compete and how hard they helped me work, then having it taken away so quickly, it was devastating!
“It felt as if I had let them down and it broke my heart!
“It is going to be a long road to recovery, but it is already started and I plan on making my return special. As Triple H said, ‘This is just another bump in the road.’”
This is not the first time she has been hit with knee injuries.
Back in Wales when she was growing up, Tegan – who was born Steffanie Newell – played football for local teams and had trials for both Cardiff City and the Welsh national team. She also played tag rugby and netball.
But when she was 13, a knee injury ended up costing her a place on the Wales Under-16 team. When she finally turned 16, she gave up football, with the aim of taking a long break from all sports.