Kris Statlander reflected on her AEW Women's World Championship win and her rewarding feud with Mercedes Mone in a recent interview. She described the title victory as occurring at a 'weird time' amid multiple ongoing storylines. Statlander highlighted her approach to matches and the motivation she drew from Mone's talent.
Kris Statlander won the AEW Women's World Championship at All Out in September 2025, defeating Toni Storm, Jamie Hayter, and Thekla in a Four Way match, ending Storm's fourth reign. Storm challenged Statlander again at WrestleDream the following month but failed to regain the title. In an interview on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Statlander admitted the win came at a 'weird time' in her career, as she was entangled in other narratives on AEW programming.
"It almost didn’t feel like it was the right time, because the way Toni Storm went about making the match was like, ‘You, you, you, let’s go do it,’ and we’re like, ‘okay,’ so it’s kind of like taking advantage of an opportunity," Statlander said. "Meanwhile, I was still getting harassed by the Deathriders and trying to sneak my way out of dealing with them. And then the up and down situation with Willow, and then me and Harley were kind of a thing. It was like a really, really weird time where I was very unsure of what I wanted to do and what path I wanted to take."
Statlander held the title for 144 days, defending it successfully against Mercedes Mone, Jamie Hayter, and Mina Shirakawa. She described her reign as an 'uphill battle' to establish herself as champion. "But at the same time, it felt really weird. It was just kind of like, well, I guess we’re here, so okay, and now it’s just kind of been an uphill battle trying to cement myself and find myself, while also putting myself and showing everyone who I am as the World Champion. So it’s been a really odd time," she added.
Statlander lost the championship to Thekla in a Strap Match on the February 11, 2026, episode of Dynamite, with interference from the Sisters of Sin. She has since continued her feud with the group, teaming with Thunder Rosa to defeat Julia Hart and Sky Blue on the February 28 episode of Collision.
Regarding her in-ring chemistry, particularly with Mone, Statlander noted their trilogy of matches: Mone won both pay-per-view encounters in 2024, but Statlander prevailed at Full Gear in November 2025 during her title reign. The bouts were highly regarded for their quality. Statlander explained her philosophy: "I don’t ever really look for chemistry with someone. I look for myself being the best performer for my opponent." She praised Mone specifically, saying, "I love working with her. She’s motivated me in ways that I could never explain, because of just her talent and her passion for wrestling also." Statlander emphasized that being a desired opponent is more rewarding than titles. Mone has been on hiatus from AEW since the end of 2025 but is scheduled for independent dates in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, and Canada.
