The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission (OSAC) has deferred a decision regarding intergender and transgender wrestling to the state legislature.
On Tuesday, the commission met to discuss potential changes to rules that currently prohibit intergender matches and prevent transgender wrestlers from competing against cisgender wrestlers with the same gender identity. The discussion was partly a follow-up to a meeting in July where a similar lack of consensus was reached.
Some commission members contended that altering the rule would conflict with the state’s law banning intergender sporting contests, while others maintained that the law shouldn’t apply since wrestling is not a competition, but rather people working together to put on a performance.
In the end, the commission decided that making the change independently could lead to the issue becoming too politically charged. Ultimately, the OSAC voted to request that the state legislature take up the issue in a legislative hearing but took no action on its own.
AEW had previously received a warning from the OSAC following Nyla Rose’s match against Alejandra Lion at an event in Oklahoma last December. Although AEW was not fined, the commission indicated that punitive measures could be taken if similar matches occur in the future.
Rose responded to the news in her usual way:
During the public comment section of Tuesday’s meeting, several performers, including wrestler Logan Knight, argued that professional wrestling is a scripted form of entertainment, fundamentally different from traditional combat sports. They also pointed out that restricting intergender matches limits opportunities for female wrestlers, forcing them to seek work in other states despite training alongside male wrestlers.
“Professional wrestling is not a sport, it is sports entertainment,” Knight said to OKC Fox. “It is derived from a sport meant to entertain.”
Currently, AEW has no upcoming shows scheduled in Oklahoma, while WWE recently held a SmackDown taping at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Nyla Rose has a t-shirt supporting Freedom Oklahoma currently for sale on AEWShop.com.