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Kris Statlander

Kristen Stadtlander (born August 7, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she performs under the ring name Kris Statlander.

Early life

Statlander was born in West Islip, New York on Long Island. She attended college in New Jersey, but left after one year to train as a stunt double at Hollywood Stunts in Brooklyn, New York. She also worked as a massage therapist.

Professional wrestling career

Training; early career (2016–2019)

Statlander began her professional wrestling training under Pat Buck and Brian Myers at the Create A Pro Wrestling Academy in Hicksville, New York in 2016. Statlander later became the first female graduate of the academy. She made her professional wrestling debut in November 2016, initially under the ring name "Liza Verio". Statlander made an appearance for WWE on an episode of SmackDown Live that aired on April 9, 2019, teaming with Karissa, named "The Brooklyn Belles", in a losing effort against the then-WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Billie Kay and Peyton Royce. In June that same year, she competed at an event for the promotion Beyond Wrestling in an intergender match against Joey Janela in a losing effort.

All Elite Wrestling (2019–present)

Best Friends (2019–2022)

Statlander made her debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on November 19, 2019, competing in a tag team match alongside Big Swole against Riho and Britt Baker on Dark, where Statlander and Swole were defeated. In December, AEW announced that Statlander had signed with the promotion. Following her signing, she defeated Baker on the December 18 episode of Dynamite to become the No. 1 contender for the AEW Women's World Championship. Statlander competed against Riho for the AEW Women's World title on the January 8, 2020, episode of Dynamite, where she was defeated due to interferences by Brandi Rhodes, Awesome Kong, Mel, and the debuting Luther. She received another opportunity to compete for the title on February 29, 2020, at Revolution, this time against new champion Nyla Rose, where she was once again defeated. In June 2020, Statlander suffered an ACL injury in her left leg during an episode of Dynamite.

Statlander returned from injury alongside Trent Beretta on March 31, 2021, helping Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy defeat Miro and Kip Sabian on Dynamite. In September at All Out, she challenged Baker for the AEW Women's World Championship but was unsuccessful. In November, Statlander–along with Trent, Taylor, Cassidy, and Wheeler Yuta–joined the New Japan Pro-Wrestling-based stable Chaos. In August 2022, Statlander suffered a completely torn ACL and lateral meniscus in her right leg during a match on Dark and stated she would need an indefinite amount of time to recover.

TBS Champion; heel turn (2023–present)

Statlander returned at Double or Nothing in May 2023, appearing after a match between then-AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill and Taya Valkyrie in which Cargill retained her title. She answered Cargill's open challenge to an impromptu match and won, ending Cargill's 60-match undefeated streak and obtaining the AEW TBS Championship. Over the coming months, Statlander would defend the championship against the likes of Nyla Rose, Anna Jay, Taya Valkyrie among others. At All Out she succsessfully defended the championship against Ruby Soho, and against a returning Jade Cargill on the September 13 episode of Rampage. Statlander soon began a feud with Julia Hart, which also involved Skye Blue and Willow Nightingale, which led to a match at WrestleDream against Hart, in which Statlander successfully defended the AEW TBS Championship. Statlander would go on to successfully defend the championship against Blue on the October 14 episode of Collision and against Nightingale at Battle of the Belts VIII. At Full Gear Statlander lost the AEW TBS Championship to Hart, in a match also involving Skye Blue, which ended when Hart pinned Blue, ending her reign at 174 days. After the loss, Stokely Hathaway would seek a parternship with Statlander and Nightingale, although at first he was turned away, his offer was later accepted. On the Worlds End: Zero Hour show, Statlander was defeated by Nightingale. At Revolution 2024: Zero Hour on March 3, Statlander and Nightingale defeated Blue and Hart. On May 26 at Double or Nothing, Statlander attacked Nightingale after Nightingale was defeated by Mercedes Moné, turning heel for the first time in her career.

Professional wrestling style and persona

Statlander originally employed an alien gimmick, which she attributed to her being "a big science nerd". Under this character, she was nicknamed "The Galaxy's Greatest Alien" and billed as having come from the Andromeda Galaxy. Statlander changed her gimmick in 2022 since she felt that with the previous gimmick "I was never really being fully taken seriously", calling the previous character as "too fun, too lovable, I guess, too goofy and easygoing".

Statlander uses a 450° splash and an inverted piledriver as finishers, respectively called Area 451 and the Big Bang Theory. With her change in gimmick, Big Bang Theory was renamed Friday Night Fever, or Wednesday Night Fever and Saturday Night Fever depending what night of the week the finisher takes place on, referencing the song "More Than a Woman" by the Bee Gees, which she had used as her theme early in her career.

Personal life

Stadtlander is a vegetarian. Statlander was formerly in a relationship with independent wrestler Caleb Konley.

Other media

She appeared as an uncredited stuntwoman extra in the series finale of MTV's Ladylike in 2016. In 2019, she provided motion capture for WWE 2K20. In 2022, Statlander along with Orange Cassidy and Chuck Taylor appeared in the third season of Netflix's Floor is Lava.

Filmography

Championships and accomplishments

AAW Wrestling
- AAW Women's Championship (1 time)
All Elite Wrestling
- AEW TBS Championship (1 time)
Create A Pro Wrestling
- CAP Television Championship (1 time)
- Inaugural CAP TV Championship Tournament (2019)
Beyond Wrestling
- Treasure Hunter Tournament (2019)
IndependentWrestling.TV
- Independent Wrestling Championship (1 time)
New York Wrestling Connection
- NYWC Starlet Championship (1 time)
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 26 of the top 150 female wrestlers in the PWI Women's 100 in 2021
Sports Illustrated
- Ranked No. 6 of the top 10 women's wrestlers in 2019
Victory Pro Wrestling
- VPW Women's Championship (2 times)
Women Superstars United
- WSU World Championship (1 time)
- Interim WSU World Championship (1 time)
- WSU Spirit Championship (1 time)