Kris Statlander Reflects On TBS Championship Win & Pressure
In a surprise appearance, Kris Statlander showed up following Jade Cargill’s successful title defense over Taya Valkyrie and secured the TBS Championship in an impromptu match at AEW Double or Nothing. In a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Statlander candidly discussed her thoughts on the momentous win and delved into various aspects of her journey.
Addressing her emotions after defeating Jade Cargill, Statlander expressed,
“…I was nervous, and I wasn’t sure if I was the one that deserved to be the one to do it. It’s not just because of how much they built her up. She has such incredible star power; she has such a presence to her. People want to see her. I was putting pressure on myself, thinking like ‘How am I going to live up to the type of person and the type of star that she is. She’s undefeated, she’s brought so many outside eyes to wrestling. She’s done so much, and it’s gonna take a while to realize that I don’t have to be the next Jade. I just have to be Kris Statlander, and I’ve got to make my title reign be mine. I can still go out and do events and do things that she did, but I’m not gonna be Jade.”
Acknowledging the weight of succeeding Cargill as the TBS Champion, Statlander emphasized,
“No one’s gonna be Jade. Jade’s the first-ever TBS Champion, she’s the longest-reigning champion in AEW history, and I think those are two incredible accolades that no one else in the world is going to have. It’s a lot of pressure about just proving that I am the one that was able to step up, and I can step up, and I will. Even though I’ve had to [miss time] because of being injured, I can step right back into the scene and be a champion that people deserve, and that people want to see. It’s been just about a week since I’ve been back, and I’ve already technically wrestled four matches, and I am so tired, but it’s everything that I’ve wanted it to be, and I’m just so thankful that everyone has trusted me.”
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