Kris Statlander opens up about how she wasn't sure she deserved to be the one who beat Jade Cargill.
Statlader had been sidelined with a torn ACL since August 2022, but she returned at AEW Double or Nothing 2023. There, she beat TBS Champion Jade Cargill in an impromptu match to win the title and end Cargill's dominant undefeated streak. Cargill had held the title for well over a year, as she won the gold on the January 5, 2022, episode of AEW Dynamite.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Statlander was asked to describe how she felt about beating Cargill. She noted that she wasn't sure if she deserved to be the one to end Cargill's streak, as she praised the former champion.Statlander stated that she has to realize that she doesn't have to be the next Jade; she just has to be herself and make that special.
“Very much what I’ve been saying, where 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," Statlander said.
Statlandr emphasized that no one else will be Jade, and she had an incredible reign. She made it clear that she feels pressure to prove herself and show that she can continue to step up. The new champion stated that she has loved her reign so far, as it has been everything that she has wanted.
"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," Statlander said.
Statlander commented on her return and her road to recovery. Click here to see what she had to say.
Fightful Select recently reported that Jade Cargill is taking some time away from AEW.
Click here to check out the card for the June 7 episode of AEW Dynamite. Fightful will have live coverage of the show as it airs.
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