Kris Statlander was a big part of the AEW women's division prior to her injury in June 2020. She was also involved in one of the most criticized segments in Dynamite history.
Challenging Riho for the AEW Women's Championship on the January 8 episode of Dynamite, the match was more remembered for the interference by The Nightmare Collective than it was for the action between Statlander and Riho.
Throughout the first two years of AEW, the biggest criticism has been the women's division and the lack of focus .
Speaking during a Pro Wrestling Junkies Q&A, Statlander gave her assessment of how things are going in the division.
"It's valid to accept criticism, but people have to remember that almost every single girl that got signed has never worked on TV before. A lot of men on the roster have worked on TV, and if they haven't they're working with people who have been on TV. We're just learning as we go. We're trying our hardest and doing training before TV every single taping. People that think we're sitting on our butts and hoping things will be handed to us; we're trying as hard as we can. There's only so much we can do and only so much time we can get in a two hour show. There's Dark, obviously, but it's not live TV. People need to give it time. A lot of these girls, including myself, are working on TV for the first time and we're not doing matches each week. I believe that we can do better, but Rome wasn't built in a day. It's going to take time and everyone has to accept that," she said.
Statlander is currently rehabbing from her high-grade ACL tear suffered in June 2020.
Elsewhere during the Q&A, she provided an update on her injury, saying she is close to being healed. You can find her full comments by clicking here.
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