Kris Statlander has revealed that MJF helped her get a job with AEW.
The TBS Champion began her career back in 2016 and quickly became a popular star on the independent scene. This led to her appearing in a tag team match alongside Big Swole against Britt Baker and Riho in November 2019 on an episode of AEW Dark.
Stantlander impressed during the match and signed a contract with AEW a month later. Since then, the star has competed for the Women’s World Title, overcome two serious knee injuries, and won the TBS Title.
Appearing on Under The Ring, Statlander credited MJF will helping her land that early gig with AEW.
“I feel like it all kind of happened so suddenly. I remember I was at this point in my independent career where I was having like, six matches a week and I was wrestling like four or five days a week, and I was very tired, but very busy and very excited. I got the email to come do a dark match and be an extra. It was in Nashville, so I remember I was like, oh, that’s kind of a far distance, but if they’re bringing me in, sure, I absolutely am not going to say no to that.
I remember I showed up. I did some of the training with the girls. I feel like, pretty early in the day, they started discussing possibly bringing me in and I was like, ‘I haven’t even had my match yet.’ Like, if anything, I was just like, ‘Don’t you want to see me wrestle first?’ In my opinion, I want to see how a person works before I bring them into a company. I know that I had some people recommend me and looking out for me.
I hate to give him credit, but I know MJF was probably the biggest one, so I do have a lot to owe him, unfortunately, but he’s been there for me a lot as a friend. I think if he hadn’t recommended me as someone to bring in, I probably wouldn’t have gotten that opportunity so early on. I’m sure it probably would have happened eventually. I would hope it would have at least but, yeah, it just kind of just happened out of nowhere.
The first day that I was there, it was kind of like, ‘Were gonna bring you in’, and I was like, ‘All right, let’s do it.’”
MJF may have been kind to Statlander, but when it comes to being out-ranked by one particular wrestler in the PWI 500, he is a little less kind!
When Did Kris Statlander Win The TBS Title?
Kris Statlander returned to AEW to win the TBS Championship at Double or Nothing 2023.
The appearance was Statlander’s first in nine months, after suffering a serious knee injury the previous August. Since returning and winning the gold, Statlander has made successful defences against the likes of Anna Jay, Nyla Rose, Jade Cargill, and Britt Baker.
In a new interview, Kris Statlander commented on the pressure of living up to Jade Cargill’s AEW legacy.
H/t to WrestlingNews.Co