Kris Statlander Talks AEW Full Gear And Her Evolution As Champion

Kris Statlander has been part of AEW since the very beginning, evolving from Galaxy’s Favorite Alien into one of the company’s top performers. After overcoming a major knee injury and climbing her way back up the card, she captured her first AEW Women’s World Championship at All Out, a moment years in the making that now sets the stage for a high-stakes defense at Full Gear.

Statlander already notched a successful title defense against Toni Storm, but the situation changes on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. She faces Mercedes Moné, who she clashed with at last year’s Full Gear in a match for the CEO’s TBS Championship.

Now, with a year of growth, a new title on the line, and in the aftermath of Blood & Guts, Statlander enters this rematch as a very different performer. She spoke with Forbes about her mindset heading into Full Gear, what she learned from her first matches with Moné, and how this chapter of her career has come together.

Rob Wolkenbrod: First off, how are you feeling after the Blood & Guts match?

Kris Statlander: Honestly, I’m a little scraped up, but I’m feeling invigorated and alive. And I think what a lot of people don’t know about the women is that we’re all insane, and getting to do hardcore matches and stuff like that is something we all live for. So even though we didn’t all win, we all have such a strong sense of accomplishment. And I think we’re all very excited for what is to come. I have a big pay-per-view match on Saturday, so I’m feeling very pumped and amped to bring the rage of that loss into that.

Wolkenbrod: Have you had a chance to take in what that match meant for the division, and what kind of standard you feel it sets for future Blood & Guts matches?

Statlander: Yeah, I think so. I think we were all feeling it after we finished it, and in the next few days we were all feeling such a strong sense of accomplishment that we were able to not only pull off what we did, but exceed so many expectations. I have said it so many times. We have such a great roster of women who want to go insane and prove themselves constantly, time and time again. We are always striving for more, and it is only going to get crazier as we go on.

Wolkenbrod: Do you feel it can get crazier than the bed of nails that you landed on?

Statlander: Honestly, out of all the things I could have done, that is probably a very mild thing that could have happened. It still was not fun for me, but I would be willing to do crazier things, I think.

Wolkenbrod: When you won the Women’s World Title at All Out, what was going through your mind in that moment when the referee’s hand hit three and the bell rang?

Statlander: It was a lot of emotions. I feel like I was in such an interesting place in my reworking of who I am as a performer, trying to prove that I am still a good person, and meanwhile I still have the Death Riders on my butt the whole time. I was trying to figure out how to show everybody that they did not help me, but still string them along only so I could blow it up in their faces.

So it felt like my plan was coming to fruition and all the pieces were coming together. But I also had a huge target on my back. It was a lot of emotions at once. It is hard to process that, but it also felt like this was finally the moment. It was crazy.

Wolkenbrod: That championship win came after four years between world title opportunities. When you look back on that stretch, what were the hardest moments, and what kept you going?

Statlander: Well, I did have a knee surgery in that time, so that consumed a lot of my focus leading up to when I did win. But I felt like I had other things to worry about in wrestling and in AEW, instead of focusing solely on being a champion. Like I have said before, I feel like being a champion is not about holding the title. It is about how you carry yourself. You do not necessarily need a title to show that you are worthy of being a champion, and I felt like I needed to prove that in other aspects of my wrestling.

Wolkenbrod: Having held the title and delivered in major moments this year, how do you see your role within the women’s division right now?

Statlander: Previously, I feel like I was someone reliable. A lot of people wanted to come to me for help. Now I feel like I am in a weird position, because a lot of people do not love me. And I get it. Many people are fans of mine, but they have their reservations because I am a champion, and they all want what I have. So it becomes one of those situations where you never know who is actually your friend.

I do not feel isolated, but I feel like I have to be the hero they need and not necessarily the one they want. Whether they want me around or not, I feel like I have more confidence than I usually do, and not everybody loves that. But I am the champion, and I have to walk the walk, talk the talk, and be exactly who I am.

Wolkenbrod: Has confidence been something you struggled to find in the past, or something you have always had?

Statlander: I feel like it is something I have always had, but I kept it reserved. At this point, I am at the top of my game. Who is to say I am wrong for believing in myself and having the confidence I should have as champion? There is no point in being a champion if I am going to walk around scared of everyone and everything.

Wolkenbrod: Coming out of Blood & Guts, where do you see the women’s division heading next?

Statlander: I think next we are going to see some tag champions, and I am very excited about that. I love tag wrestling, and personally I wish I could have had the chance to be part of that. But I have my sights set on being the world champion. Focus is very important when you are a champion.

I think things are going to keep going up for the women. Things are going to get bigger, with more accomplishments, a lot more passion, and hopefully more hardcore blow offs. We are going to see a lot of really strong champions.

Wolkenbrod: Looking at this year as a whole, what do you feel shifted or came together that made this chapter feel different from earlier ones?

Statlander: I feel like this time, I have to stop worrying about how people perceive me when I know what my intentions are. I know my goals and what I am working toward, and people are only getting a small fraction of what I am doing one day a week.

I need to remember what my long-term sights are and be true to myself, and not worry about proving to everybody that I am a super nice, really good wrestler. They already know what my abilities are. My intentions are what they will understand over time.

Wolkenbrod: You are coming full circle facing Mercedes Moné again at Full Gear, but for your title this time. What did you take away from that first match with her?

Statlander: I think with that first match, I learned exactly what kind of performer she is, and the same with the second one. You really understand someone once you are in there with them and feeling how they move. You can only learn so much from watching or from someone telling you what kind of person they are. Once you are in there, you feel their truth.

At that time for me, it was such a desperate moment in my career where I was trying to prove myself worthy of being anything to anybody. Now, because I have this newfound confidence, I am a different performer. And I think she has more to worry about now than I do.

Wolkenbrod: As you head into Full Gear, what should fans expect from you in this next chapter and from the rematch?

Statlander: I am not going to hold back on my brutality. I think I need to be a little more aggressive and not be so worried that I am facing one of the best wrestlers in the world. Not that I was super worried before, but I was so desperate to prove myself that I clouded my own performance.

Now I need to dial in and show her why I am the champion this time, and why she is coming after what I have, instead of me trying to take back something that used to be mine.

The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.