AEW’s Kris Statlander Teases Round 2 with Mercedes Mone, Talks Women’s Continental Classic, and More

2024 has been a whirlwind of a year for AEW star Kris Statlander, and tonight at Worlds End she has a chance to kick off cap it off in grand style. Statlander will have an opportunity to reclaim the TBS Championship at Worlds End, and to do that she’ll need to take down the CEO Mercedes Mone, an opponent she is quite familiar with. That’s because at Full Gear the two stars delivered an epic match that has become one of the favorites in both of their careers. ComicBook had a chance to speak to Statlander ahead of their rematch, and in addition to the rivalry with Mone we also discussed the possibility of a Women’s Continental Classic, her dream All In Texas scenario, and her shift from heel to babyface and the challenges that came with it.

First though we had to talk about the match at Full Gear, which brought out the best in both stars. For Statlander, the match showcased what each of them bring to the ring, and that’s part of why it will continue to be so special.

“I mean, I think we kind of really played to each other’s strengths in a way, and it’s hard to always find someone that you can wrestle that will do that and will compliment that for you. And I think that’s kind of what made the match so special, is that we really showcased who we are against each other,” Statlander said. “There’s a lot of really great things about that match and I’m so honored to have been the one to put on that performance. But yeah, I think it’s as simple as that.”

Mone has called that match one of the best in her career, and Statlander feels the same way, noting that trust between the two was a major factor in creating that phenomenal moment. “I mean, it’s such an honor and it’s something that I don’t, I don’t take lightly because I never would give myself the credit of being that person. It’s always two people in a match. It’s never just on me to perform and pull like a great match out of somebody. Not that it’s like it was me that pulled a great match out of her, but it’s just, we were just two people that found each other in the right spot in wrestling,” Statlander said. “I trusted her, she trusted me, and we were just able to put on something incredible. And it’s, she says it’s one of her best matches of her career. Obviously, it’s one of my best matches in my career and it’s one of my favorites. It’s one of those things I’ll never forget.”

[RELATED:AEW’s Willow Nightingale Discusses Deeply Personal Feud with Kris Statlander]

We actually spoke to Statlander before the rematch was confirmed for Worlds End, but even then she was thinking about what a second collision would be like, noting some lessons learned from their first encounter if the opportunity or a second match-up arrived. “Definitely not a closed book. Hopefully I get another chance at redemption. You know, she really went for my leg, took advantage of that, and it’s smart, but it’s dirty, and I will just make sure that my leg is better prepared and all of me is better prepared for a round two if it should happen,” Statlander said.

While Statlander couldn’t bring down Mone in their first encounter, she did shatter the alliance between Mone and her enforcer Kamille. That partnership came to a dramatic end after Kamille quit, but it was Statlander who delivered Kamille’s first loss in AEW. That said, Statlander doesn’t hold as much against Kamille compared to Mone.

“I would say Kamille, whatever happened with her and Mercedes, it’s no fault of her own. I guess Mercedes had expectations of who she hires on as a bodyguard, so to speak, and she pushed Kamille in ways that were a little unethical, you know, trying to get her to run over people with cars, and I would be frustrated if I were her too,” Statlander said. “I mean, I think it was kind of expected. It wasn’t as cohesive as of a pairing as people or as Mercedes and Kamille hoped it would be.”

It’s been a wild journey for Statlander over the course of the year, starting out 2024 as a babyface alongside her friend Willow Nightingale. That all changed though at Double or Nothing when Statlander turned on Nightingale and aligned with Stokely Hathaway, and the two would have a big-time rivalry that led to a brutal street fight that no one will forget anytime soon.

After that though there was an unexpected pivot, and suddenly Statlander was no longer aligned with Hathaway and was instead taking on Mone, and with Mone fully in her heel era, Statlander as now the hero in the emerging rivalry. What’s perhaps most impressive is that in the span of a month AEW managed to fully shift Statlander into that more altruistic role with people fully buying in, and after Full Gear it feels like that has come full circle. Statlander understands why some were confused and even hesitant to embrace her after that winding road, but hopes that people will give her another chance over time.

“I think I was a little confused because I wasn’t really sure where my morals aligned anymore, which kind of left the fans a little bit confused. And I understand how that’s, it’s hard to be on the side of someone who hurt someone so bad, and I understand why people wouldn’t want to be on my side,” Statlander said. “But hopefully, I guess picking a big target that was pretty much a common enemy, people would see that as a trying to take down the beast in a way. So hopefully I’m starting to get people back on my side a little bit. But I, again, I understand I didn’t really clear the waters, so to speak, and that’s something I probably should do before people can really start to see the good in me again completely.”

Statlander and Mone are just two parts of an extremely talented AEW Women’s Division, and fans are always looking for ways to feature the Division more on TV and pay-per-views. Serena Deep recently brought up the idea of a Women’s Continental Classic, and Statlander is fully on board with the idea as well.

“Why would I not want more opportunities as a woman on the women’s roster? I would love anything, anything really. The Continental Classic is something, we have something we haven’t had before. We haven’t had a Battle Royal in quite a long time. More tournaments, more Gauntlets, anything. Anytime the women get a chance to really step up and show out, we always exceed expectations, and I just want to be a part of everything that you could possibly be a part of,” Statlander said.

As for 2025, AEW will hold its All In event in Texas this year, so we had to ask what a dream scenario for that big a spotlight would be for Statlander. With that big of an event on the horizon, I also wanted to know what band or musician she would love to accompany and play her to the ring in that sort of dream spot, and it would seem that there are actually some plans already in the works to make it happen.

“Oh, a type of match. I would probably do some sort of like street fight hardcore thing because there’s just so much more fun things that you can do where there’s extra weapons involved,” Statlander said. “I guess even making it, screw it, make it a Blood and Guts type deal.”

“I could not pick opponents because there’s so many girls that, you know, bring it when we do hardcore stuff. That would probably be dream scenario. And for a band, I don’t want to say because there may potentially be something in the works with a band I’m very fond of in the future. Smaller band, but one of my favorites and I don’t want to spoil it in case it comes true,” Statlander said.

AEW Worlds End will stream live on pay-per-view at 8 PM EST later tonight.

What do you want to see for Statlander in 2025? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!