Real Reason AEW Star’s Gimmick Was Scrapped

AEW

A current AEW champion has revealed the reasoning for scrapping a previous gimmick from their early years in the company.

Kris Statlander has had great success since returning from a nine month injury absence at May’s Double or Nothing 2023.

Not only did she end the 60-0 undefeated run of former AEW star Jade Cargill upon her return but she would also win her first title in the process, that being the TBS Championship.

Prior to her injury layoff in August 2022, Statlander began to portray a far different character to her early years in the company, where she was billed as the ‘Galaxy’s Greatest Alien.’

Despite some fans liking the character, Statlander revealed in a recent sit-down with Ring The Belle, that many thought the character gave her a ceiling in AEW, with her unlikely to become world champion whilst saddled with it.

Statlander explained:

“I know, I know. I feel like it’s a very 50/50 split with how people feel about that (alien persona). 

“I get that (it went well with the athleticism I displayed).

I felt like doing the alien thing, it gave people a better look into me as a person and it’s not to be like, oh, I’m an alien but I’m just — I know I’m a little bit of an awkward person, I’m a little bit different and sometimes the things that I do are unique and I felt like that was kind of just an easy way to show what I am as an easy, like, oh, yeah, alien, different, makes sense.

“I don’t know. I know some people, a lot of people didn’t take that seriously and they never thought that it would be world champion material and it might’ve been but I just felt like it was time for me to try and grow.

“Not just as a person, as a performer and just try something different. I mean, it did bring me to this.

“I don’t wanna say it was a mistake. Maybe it was time for something new.”

Following on from Jade Cargill’s dominance as TBS Champion, Statlander has been similarly impressive, racking up fifteen title defences in the last five months.

AEW most recently seemingly set up Statlander and Willow Nightingale taking on Skye Blue and Julia Hart.

Statlander’s most recent title defense was against Nightingale herself.

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Transcript courtesy of POST Wrestling

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• Kris Statlander
• Gimmick Change
• AEW

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