Jade Cargill learned technical wrestling from one of the best in the business — and then had to walk away from it entirely. Speaking with Complex Graps, the WWE Women’s Champion explained why she abandoned the technical style she developed working with Bryan Danielson in AEW, and who actually shaped the powerhouse approach that has made her a star.
“Daniel Bryan taught me so much technical wrestling, and I tried it. When I tried technical wrestling, I had no reaction out of fans,” Cargill said. “I know how to grapple, I know how to do it — they don’t want to see that. They cheer, they boo, they get up out of their seats when I’m pounding somebody to the ground. That’s what they like.”
Cargill Credits Booker T and Billy Gunn for Teaching Her to Use Her Size
The performers whose advice she actually carried forward were Booker T and Billy Gunn. “The technique and advice I’m using — it’s two people. One is Booker T, and the other one is Billy Gunn. Billy Gunn knows how to use his size, and that’s what I needed to learn.” Cargill pointed to her physical presence as her greatest weapon, noting that among the women on the current roster, her size is almost unmatched. “I’m 5’10. I’m a big girl. There’s no reason why I should be going toe-to-toe with little girls. I pick people up, that’s what I do. I whoop ass — and I just look good with it too.” Cargill defends the WWE Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 42.
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