AEW Star Says MJF Looked Out For Her After She Joined The Company

AEW World Champion MJF's most-notable friendship at the moment is with his tag partner Adam Cole, but behind the scenes, there are many that consider the "People's Scumbag" a friend — whether they like it or not.

"I know that I had some people looking out for me and recommending me," TBS Champion Kris Statlander told "Under The Ropes" recently. "I hate to give him credit but I know MJF was probably the biggest one. I do have a lot to owe him, unfortunately, but he's been there a lot for me as a friend." Statlander believes that if MJF specifically hadn't backed her to management, she wouldn't have been brought into AEW as quickly as she was. 

"It probably would've happened eventually," Statlander admitted. "I hope it would have, at least."

According to Statlander, she'd been working a busy schedule on the independent scene when AEW called her to come to a taping of "AEW Dark." Statlander shared that the taping in Nashville was far away from her but since AEW was willing to take a chance on her, she was willing to make the journey for the fledgling promotion. After training with some of the other women at the taping, management discussed the possibility of bringing her into the company before she'd even wrestled her match at the taping — with MJF as a major advocate for the former IWTV Independent Wrestling Champion. He had become familiar with her work when they were both on the independent scene.

Statlander has been riding a high in AEW as of late, winning the TBS Champion at Double or Nothing in April, dethroning Jade Cargill who, to that point, had been undefeated. Statlander also claimed victory in their recent rematch, keeping her title reign intact.