WWE Superstar Nia Jax has praised Triple H for his role in transforming WWE’s women’s division, crediting his investment in female talent during NXT’s black-and-gold era for helping establish women as major attractions in professional wrestling.
During a recent interview with Jimmy V3, the former WWE Women’s Champion discussed the progress female Superstars have made over the past decade, particularly their ability to headline major events and deliver matches that rival or surpass those featuring their male counterparts.
Jax, who began her WWE career in NXT before joining the main roster, recalled how Paul “Triple H” Levesque placed considerable emphasis on showcasing the women’s division during his time overseeing WWE’s developmental brand. “I agree,” she said. “Because I was there in the black and gold when Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque was really making the women … kind of just making the show about how good the women are. He really did invest in us and like prove to like the whole wrestling industry that women are just as good as an athlete as the men, and if not sometimes better and storytelling in the ring.”
Jax believes that investment helped create opportunities for female performers to demonstrate their abilities on a much larger stage. She pointed to the increasing number of women’s main events and high-profile matches as evidence of how far the division has progressed. “So, you know, it’s been about like, I want to say a decade of us women in WWE kind of just like taking over,” she continued. “Like being in the main event picture and sometimes being the best match on the card over the men. So, you know, we have been kind of proving into the entertainment industry that women can hold that top spot.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Jax revealed the inspiration behind her WWE ring name, explaining that it combines a name rooted in Samoan culture with a reference to one of her favorite television shows.
According to Jax, prospective WWE Superstars were required to submit a list of potential ring names, which would then undergo a legal review before receiving approval from the company. “So back when we were choosing names, like, we had to send a list of names of, like, what we possibly wanted, and they ran it through, I think, like, their legal department to see what they can actually give us,” she began. “Nia, you know, I pronounce it Na-ya, but Nia is actually a Samoan woman name.”
While the first part of her name reflects her Samoan heritage, Jax explained that her surname was inspired by Jax Teller, the character portrayed by Charlie Hunnam in the FX drama Sons of Anarchy. “Like a name in the Samoan culture,” she continued. “And Jax is from Jax Teller, because at the time I was obsessed with Sons of Anarchy, and yeah, it was such a great show, and so Nia Jax came about from from that.”
The revelation offers an interesting look at how Jax developed the identity she has used throughout her WWE career, combining a cultural connection with a personal interest outside wrestling.
Meanwhile, her praise for Triple H reflects the lasting influence she believes his leadership in NXT had on women’s wrestling, helping establish a foundation for female Superstars to become regular fixtures in WWE’s biggest matches and storylines.
