AEW
Feuding with Mercedes Mone was an incredibly rewarding professional experience for Kris Statlander. The two talented athletes have shared the ring on multiple occasions to the delight of the audience. They initially faced off twice on premium live events in 2024, with Mone securing victories in both of those early matchups.
The two competitors then renewed their intense rivalry at the AEW Full Gear 2025 broadcast. Statlander managed to turn the tide and get the victory this time around. All three bouts were highly regarded by viewers, with Statlander and Mone working exceptionally well together as opponents.
During a recent appearance on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Statlander opened up about her mindset inside the squared circle. She explained that she doesn’t ever really look for inherent chemistry with her opponents. Instead, she approaches each match trying to be as giving as possible.
She actively tries to find unique ways to mesh with the person standing across the ring from her. However, Statlander does think that audiences would quickly point to Mone as the person she has the absolute best chemistry with. Statlander loved working with the former champion.
She was deeply motivated by how dedicated Mone is to the professional wrestling business.
“I feel so weird about this chemistry question — I’ve actually gotten this a few times — because I don’t ever really look for chemistry with someone,” Statlander explained.
She elaborated on her selfless philosophy when structuring a high-profile bout.
“I look for myself being the best performer for my opponent,” Statlander said.
She believes that taking the burden of performance onto her own shoulders yields much better results in the ring.
“And I feel like kind of putting that pressure on myself to be that person for them kind of just helps me mesh with a lot more people than as opposed to being like, ‘Well, I’m just going to do whatever I need to do and then hope that everyone is on the same page,’” she detailed.
She clarified that she isn’t the only wrestler with this mindset, but she takes pride in her supportive approach.
“And I’m not saying I’m the only one that does it, but I feel like my approach is a little bit more like, ‘Let me be there for you.’ Yeah, I try to be [very giving],” she noted.
This cooperative strategy has helped her build a stellar reputation backstage.
“And I feel like that kind of helps [in] general,” Statlander continued.
When discussing her favorite opponents, she knew exactly whose name would be brought up by the viewers.
“I know a lot of people are probably going to say Mercedes,” she admitted with a smile.
She had nothing but high praise for the global star and the impact she had on her career.
“And, 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 shared.
Ultimately, she values being a reliable and trusted partner in the ring above all else.
“But I don’t know. I feel like I try my best to work well with a lot of people and to be someone that people want to work with,” she stated.
That level of peer respect means more to her than any championship ever could.
“So that’s more rewarding to me than any title really could be. The fact that people want to work with me is very special,” Statlander ended.
The third match in the highly anticipated trilogy happened last November during Statlander’s AEW Women’s World Championship reign. Statlander recently dropped the belt to Thekla on the February 11 episode of Dynamite. Mone has been on hiatus from AEW since the end of 2025 but looks poised to return soon. She has already been announced for a slate of upcoming independent dates in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, and Canada. As the spring season approaches, the remaining active AEW roster is currently preparing for the Revolution pay-per-view, which takes place on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
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