Viva Van Confirms AEW Status

Viva Van has discussed her journey to AEW, her reaction to being signed by the promotion, and what kept her motivated to make it to AEW.

Van, who has appeared numerous times on AEW television since first featuring in 2021, was officially signed by AEW at the start of the year. Van detailed what signing for the promotion means to her and recalled her determination to join the promotion.

"First, I celebrated with my boyfriend and then with my family. What it means to me? The world. I've been training in wrestling for eight years and working for seven. It just felt like all the hard work finally paid off," she said on "AEW Unrestricted." "For a few years I was like, 'Man, what do I got to do? I mean, I feel like I'm on the same show with everybody except, you know, I just don't have a contract yet.' But I kept telling myself that 'not yet,' and I think that's what kept me going."

She believes her friendship with stars on the current AEW roster helped her eventually get signed by the promotion.

"A lot of the girls I've known, even way before AEW, have all worked with each other on the indies. I think that's what helped a lot — just building friendships throughout the years. A lot of the girls would tell me the same thing that Aubrey would tell me, 'I don't know why you're not here yet. I don't know how you're not officially here yet.' And I would just say, 'I don't know. I don't know,'" she said.

Van believes that she convinced AEW CEO Tony Khan that she's willing to work hard to secure a spot in the company when she agreed to dress as Fang — the Adult Swim's character — for AEW x Adult Swim Battle For The Booty event last year. At the show, Van featured in a tag team match, teaming up with Vinnie Massaro, who was dressed as Meatwad, against Johnny TV and Taya Valkyrie.