Trans pro wrestling trailblazer Gisele Shaw signs exclusive NWA contract
Gisele Shaw (Getty Images)
Trans pro wrestling star Gisele Shaw has signed an exclusive contract with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), with the promotion confirming the deal in an NWA X post announcing the exclusive contract.
The signing was revealed on NWA Powerrr during Shaw’s NWA World Women’s Television Championship defence against Sirena Veil, where NWA owner Billy Corgan announced the news on-air.
The deal marks another milestone in Shaw’s rapid rise in the historic US promotion, coming around 10 months after her making her debut with the company and becoming the first out trans femme champion in its history during a World Women’s Championship match against then-champion Natalia Markova.
How did Gisele Shaw make NWA history?
Shaw, who wrestles as “The Quintessential Diva”, is a Filipina-Canadian professional wrestler known for her work on the independent circuit and in major promotions, including a prominent run in TNA/Impact Wrestling’s Knockouts division. She is publicly out as trans and has been part of a growing cohort of out trans and non-binary wrestlers gaining visibility in mainstream wrestling.
Shaw became a regular presence on NWA programming in May after defeating Tiffany Nieves for the NWA World Women’s Television title, claiming her place as the first out trans femme champion in the NWA’s 78-year lineage.
Her profile has also grown amid wider conversations about transphobia in wrestling. In 2023, she accused Rick Steiner of verbally attacking her with transphobic abuse, with referee Daniel Spencer corroborating the alleged incident in a tweet supporting her.
What does ‘exclusive’ mean for Shaw’s other wrestling work?
Questions remain about what “exclusive” means in practice, particularly for Shaw’s other televised commitments. At the time of the announcement, she also maintained a large presence with Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling and reigned as the company’s Women’s Canadian champion and bid the company goodbye in an emotional post on X.
The length of Shaw’s NWA contract has not been made public.
