Nikki Cross Talks WWE Release, Wyatt Sicks and Money in the Bank

Nikki Cross Reflects on WWE Release, Wyatt Sicks, Progress Wrestling Ownership and Her Championship Run

Nikki Cross has lived several careers inside one wrestling life, and her recent conversation with Chris Van Vliet on Insight pulled back the curtain on all of them. From her unexpected WWE release to her time in the Wyatt Sicks, from buying Progress Wrestling to winning Money in the Bank as Nikki A.S.H., Cross walked through a decade of highs, heartbreaks and reinvention.

Cross spent ten years in WWE, playing multiple characters and forming deep bonds with the people she worked with. Saying goodbye wasn’t easy — but she made it clear she’s already focused on the next chapter.

Leaving WWE and Saying Goodbye to Characters She Loved

Cross said her release caught her off guard, just like the rest of the Wyatt Sicks being let go. She explained that every character she’s ever played — Sanity’s chaotic gremlin, Nikki A.S.H., Nikki Storm, Abby the Witch — carried emotional weight. Leaving them behind meant leaving behind pieces of herself.

She spoke about the friendships she built over a decade, naming Sarah Schreiber, Giulia, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, Bo Dallas and Erick Rowan as people she shared a unique creative experience with. Cross said the Wyatt Sicks bond is something only the five of them will ever truly understand.

Despite the shock, she emphasized she doesn’t want to live in the past. Ten years were meaningful, but she’s just as excited for the next ten.

Buying Progress Wrestling and Her Vision for the Company

Cross and her husband recently purchased Progress Wrestling, making her one of the few women to own a wrestling promotion. She said the timing was perfect — something that may not have happened if she were still in WWE.

Her goal is ambitious: turn Progress into the number one independent promotion in the world. She wants to spotlight young talent, push an aggressive in‑ring style, and maintain the “three‑ring circus” feel that allows room for comedy, characters and storytelling.

Cross highlighted Europe as a hotbed for talent and said Progress aims to be at the center of that movement. She wants partnerships across Japan, America, Canada, and the UK, building a global network of opportunities.

How She Became Part of the Wyatt Sicks

Cross explained that her transition from Nikki A.S.H. back to Nikki Cross was the first step toward joining the Wyatt Sicks. Triple H always loved the original Nikki Cross character — the wild, chaotic spark of Sanity — and once creative shifted, the seeds were planted.

She said the distant stares and trance‑like moments fans noticed on TV were early hints of the Wyatt Sicks story being built. Creative wanted long‑term storytelling, and Cross fit naturally into the eerie, unsettling tone of the group.

Becoming Nikki A.S.H., Winning Money in the Bank and Becoming Champion

Cross said she always believed Nikki A.S.H. could be a main‑event character. Winning Money in the Bank and cashing in the next night was the culmination of everything she trained for.

She didn’t know she was winning the briefcase until rehearsal. Even then, she kept her reaction small out of respect for the other women in the match. She expected a fun run with the briefcase — not an immediate cash‑in.

The next day at RAW, she arrived thinking she’d film something small for digital. Instead, a writer told her Vince McMahon wanted to see her. Inside the office were Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley and Vince, who laid out the plan: she was cashing in that night.

Cross described the moment in Gorilla as surreal. She was terrified of tripping during her run to the ring, knowing the show was almost out of time. She hit the crossbody, scored the three‑count, and became RAW Women’s Champion.

She celebrated in the crowd, something she always dreamed of. Cross said she wanted to be with the fans — the people who supported her through years of training, setbacks and long nights at wrestling school.

The following week, she opened Monday Night RAW, a moment she said would have stunned her younger self. But she also said she always believed she had the talent and mindset to carry that responsibility.