Wrestling World Reacts To Kris Statlander's AEW Double Or Nothing Return From Injury
It was not a secret that, at whatever point she returned from rehabbing tears to the ACL and meniscus in her left knee that she suffered last summer, Kris Statlander was likely to feud with Jade Cargill and quite possibly even win the AEW TBS Championship in the process. It's doubtful, though, that most fans would have predicted exactly how Statlander's return and title win happened on Sunday night at Double or Nothing: Cargill defeating Taya Valkyrie, issuing an open challenge, and getting squashed by the returning former "Galaxy's Greatest Alien."
With the well-liked Long Island native getting such a big moment for her return, various colleagues from both AEW and elsewhere in the wrestling world took to Twitter on Sunday night to congratulate her, including her original trainers, AEW's Pat Buck and Impact Wrestling's Brian Myers of the Create A Pro Wrestling Academy:
— Brian Myers (@Myers_Wrestling) May 29, 2023
— Pat Buck (@buckneverstops) May 29, 2023
❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/B6HSiORiZL
— Create A Pro NY (@CreateAPro) May 29, 2023
Various current and former competitors in the AEW women's division chimed in, as well, including former AEW Women's Champion Nyla Rose, who joked about being the "real" second TBS Champion based on when she stole the belt from Cargill during their feud, as well as fellow Long Islander Willow Nightingale:
Congratulations to Statlander on being the third TBS champion... after me of course 😬😬😬 https://t.co/OzNTRcZ5pl
— 🪓NYLA ROSE (THE REAL ONE) 🥀 (@NylaRoseBeast) May 29, 2023
MY STAT😭💖 https://t.co/bzFZ3kD6Ba
— Willow Nightingale (@willowwrestles) May 29, 2023
I need to say how happy I'm for @callmekrisstat ❤️ you deserve it so much, such an amazing human. I can't stop smiling today !!!
— TAYNARA MELO GUEVARA (@taymelo) May 29, 2023
2 words: Kris Statlander!! 🙌🥳@callmekrisstat
— Leva Bates (@wrestlingleva) May 29, 2023
We remain a @callmekrisstat Stan account #AEWDoN
— Shazza McKenzie (@Shazza_McKenzie) May 29, 2023
Congrats @callmekrisstat 🎉🎉🎉🎉 https://t.co/8i7Bo77AyY
— HYAN ハイアン (@_thehyan) May 29, 2023
Other AEW talent and personnel who chimed in included Best Friends stablemate Trent Beretta, referee/travel coordinator Bryce Remsburg, and ringside physician Dr. Michael Sampson:
squeezed the tears back into my body so all my coworkers would think I'm strong https://t.co/hNwigu2YTX
— TRENT? (@trentylocks) May 29, 2023
I. Am. So. Happy. For. My. Friend. #AEWDON pic.twitter.com/TU9ssYsHpS
— Bryce Remsburg (@dabryceisright) May 29, 2023
And the NEW TBS WOMEN'S CHAMPION @callmekrisstat So damn proud! It's been a year in the making 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/Ry832AeU65
— Michael J Sampson, DO FAOASM (@DocSampson13) May 29, 2023
Congrats @callmekrisstat pic.twitter.com/c8R49D63V6
— The Realest Swerve Strickland (@swerveconfident) May 29, 2023
@callmekrisstat !!!!!!!!!!
— Renee Paquette (@ReneePaquette) May 29, 2023
KRISTEN MFN STATLANDER!!!!!!!!!!!@callmekrisstat is the fucking best!
— J.D. Drake "ASE Certified Wrestling Mechanic" (@RealJDDrake) May 29, 2023
Last, but certainly not least, Statlander's boyfriend, independent wrestler and former Impact Wrestling regular Caleb Konley, also tweeted his own reactions, even getting into a playful argument with the new champion about using her newfound stroke to get TBS to bring back "Monkey-ed Movies"/"The Chimp Channel," a late-'90s fixture on the network:
galaxy's greatest #tbschamp pic.twitter.com/UyJ9y6tNPW
— Caleb Konley (@CalebKonley) May 29, 2023
As #TBSChamp, your first order of business needs to be to bring back Monkey-ed movies @callmekrisstat @TBSNetwork #KrisStatlander pic.twitter.com/ORjIqpPdK8
— Caleb Konley (@CalebKonley) May 29, 2023
Bro it's not even been a day relax
— Kris Statlander (@callmekrisstat) May 29, 2023
I will not rest!
— Caleb Konley (@CalebKonley) May 29, 2023
Statlander signed with AEW early in "Dynamite's" run after quickly picking up steam on the independent scene as a rookie, blowing up after a show-stealing match with John Silver at Beyond Wrestling's Please Come Back, a try-out themed show on September 30, 2018. Riding that momentum, she went from 57 documented matches in 2018 to 134 in 2019, picking up a brief reign as IWTV Independent Wrestling World Champion right as AEW was getting started.