Plum graduate Thea Hail chasing pro wrestling dreams, NXT women's title

Her friends and family in Plum know her as Madison Knisley.

The wrestling world that watches World Wrestling Entertainment brand NXT live every Tuesday evening on the USA Network knows her as Thea Hail, one of the company’s fastest-rising stars.

This Tuesday, the 2021 Plum graduate will challenge for the NXT Women’s Championship against two-time defending champ Roxanne Perez.

Because of Olympic coverage on the USA Network, the NXT episode and the match will be on the Syfy Network starting at 8 p.m.

It is not the first title shot for Knisley, who turns 21 in a month. But she sees this opportunity as a chance to take her career to another level and bring home gold for the first time in a sport to which she has dedicated so much.

“It is so surreal,” said Knisley, who performs on NXT in the wrestling faction Chase U.

“To already have multiple title opportunities is a blessing. I don’t take it very lightly. I didn’t make it happen in my (title) match (against WWE star Tiffany Stratton) at the (Great American) Bash (show) last year. I just need to hone in and make this my day. I have a lot to prove to a lot of people and respect to earn. I am so grateful for my association with Chase U. They have all done so much to make me better, and I want to show them that their hard work has paid off in me.

“Roxanne is one of the most decorated women we have. She is amazing as champion. To beat someone like that would be crazy. I want to hold my own and show that I am at the top of this division. I know I can do anything I set my mind to. I might be 5-foot-2 and 135 pounds, but I have heart and dedication and a lot of people in my corner who believe in me and have worked so hard to help me get better.”

Knisley grew up in gymnastics, plying her trade as a member of Gymkhana in Monroeville.

“Gymnastics teaches you so much about body awareness, and wrestling is so dependent on understanding your own body as well as your opponent’s,” she said.

“That aspect of gymnastics is the most surface level. On a deeper level, gymnastics, from a young age, teaches you a level of discipline that I don’t think most sports teach. With gymnastics, and wrestling for the most part, you are out there by yourself, and you are being judged. Your name is attached to a score or performance. That represents you that day, and it can be harsh, but it can also be good. Being coachable, training properly and being adaptable to change go hand-in-hand with gymnastics and wrestling.”

Knisley said professional wrestling always was a love growing up watching with her father, Jason.

“My dad loved everything ’80s, so we watched a ton of promos from wrestlers like ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, and he would throw on Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior matches. It was just so cool,” she said.

Gymnastics soon fell by the wayside, and she also took up cheerleading. But, she said, the search began at around the age of 16 to find what she wanted to do with her life.

“I always thought WWE was amazing, and I saw this video of Rey Mysterio, and I said right there that I was going to do that,” she said.

“I ran down to my basement and told my dad that I was going to be a wrestler. He was like, ‘OK, go for it!’ My dad, if wrestling is on anywhere, he will ask them if they are a fan and will tell them his daughter does it. He is so proud and so supportive of me and my dream. He’ll watch a match and will always give me his thoughts. To know I have made him proud is just the coolest thing.”

Knisley started training at 17 while in her junior year at Plum. She was not permitted to compete until her 18th birthday. Two days after turning 18, she made her debut as Nikita Knight against star wrestler Thunder Rosa on an episode of Dark, All Elite Wrestling’s YouTube show.

“I thought Thunder Rosa was amazing right from the jump,” she said. “When I got into wrestling, I was watching anything and everything. When I saw her name on the board and I was going to face her, I was so nervous. To be in the ring with someone that established and such a veteran for my first match, it was insane. I didn’t feel worthy. But I owe so much to her for helping me get connections with WWE. I have had so many great people like Thunder Rosa help me and teach me along the way to get to where I am now.”

Knisley signed with WWE in early 2022 and reported to the company’s performance center in Orlando in March to begin preparation for her start on the NXT brand under the direction of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

“I call the performance center the promise land of professional wrestling,” she said. “It is the best place to learn in this business. We have some of the most talented, knowledgeable coaching staff members who all made a name for themselves in this business. They care about us as people as much as they care about helping us be as prepared as possible.

“Shawn has so much knowledge and so much experience to pass on. He is so willing to pass that down. That is really cool. He is so impressive, and you really want to impress him. Matt Bloom is our head coach. He did great things in WWE. He’s had so much experience in and out of the ring. He has one of the most creative minds in wrestling. He is so willing and caring to help.”

Knisley made her NXT debut a month later as Thea Hail against Ivy Nile, currently a member of the main roster on “Monday Night Raw.”

“Everyone’s goal is to perform in a WWE ring,” she said. “Every time I get the chance to do anything, it’s surreal. I am 20, and I am somehow on this product and doing some really cool things. I never take this for granted for one second.”

Knisley currently is in a class with (trainer) Sara Amato, best known by her ring name, Sara Del Ray.

“To have a woman like that who is so strong and such an amazing pro wrestler and somebody who gets pro wrestling is special,” she said. “It’s uncommon to have a woman coach. It makes me feel so inspired.”

Along with TV making wrestlers household names, wrestlers and their companies use all forms of social media to market and promote their product.

Knisley’s title match and its result will be all over so many social media platforms. She hopes to be smiling with gold over her shoulder.

“Social media is the craziest thing,” she said. “I’ve grown up with it, and it’s such a norm. So many people see it as just a way to fill time. For me, it’s such a marketing tool. It’s right at your fingertips. Everyone looks it. Everyone goes to it. It can bring a lot of people who don’t normally tune into the show into this world. Platforms like X, Instagram and Tik Tok can help us reach a different and whole new audience we never reached before.”