AEW star Kris Statlander is currently on the shelf with an injury but is continuing to be involved in the wrestling industry through IWTV’s latest series, The Masked Wrestler.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Statlander described her role on the series and why she enjoys displaying her true self while giving back to independent wrestling.
“The people with IWTV are so talented. Their production is great. This is such a fun concept, and it will be even better once you see the wrestlers a few times,” Statlander said. “They definitely do a few things to try to trick the viewer so we won’t know who they are, trying to make it even more challenging to figure out who is under the mask. If you don’t have a great knowledge of the independent wrestling scene, you will after getting to know the wrestlers under the masks.”
She continued, “This is me. Whether I’m in my whole alien zone or not, this is how I act. If I had all my face paint on and I was aliened up, the same exact words would be coming out of my mouth. It’s not a character; it’s really who I am. So it’s a chance to be me. Sometimes people get so caught up on the alien thing that they don’t realize this is just me being myself.”
In regards to her comeback, Statlander said she doesn’t want to give a definitive timetable for her return to AEW, but she's frustrated that she did not get to display her full ability before the injury on Dynamite..
“That’s the hardest part. There is so much I haven’t got the chance to show yet. Anyone that’s seen my independents knows I can do gimmick matches or hardcore matches. It sucks that I had that taken away from me so early on in AEW. It’s not going to be forever, and I’m going to rebuild everything I started.
“It’s never ideal to get injured or have surgery, but there is so much else going on in the world. I’m just focusing on staying home and getting better. It’s really difficult to tell. It’s a big injury. I had surgery at the end of July, but I’m doing everything I can to get back as soon as I can. Right now, it’s too early to tell.”
IWTV has partnered with FITE to present The Masked Wrestler to an even wider audience. Learn more at this link.
