Kris Statlander went through a lot in order to return to the ring at AEW Double or Nothing.
AEW TBS Champion Kris Statlander was a recent guest on Haus of Wrestling to discuss a wide variety of subjects. When asked about having to rehab two ACL tears almost back to back, Statlander admitted that it sucked but having gone through it once made the second time easier.
“It sucked, there’s no nice way to put it,” Kris Statlander said. “It was awful, but I do know some people have had it worse where they tear one and then, like almost immediately when they come back, they tear the other. I luckily got over a year of being back and returning. I returned at like the end of March, I believe, and then I tore the other one on August 5 of the following year.
“So I was well over a year that I had been back. So I did have a lengthy amount of time in between the two, but nonetheless, it’s still I remember saying I wish I never have to go through this again. And then I had to go through this again, and I was like, welp. But in having gone through it once, I feel like I processed it.
“I got the results, saw that it was an ACL tear, cried about it for a solid hour, and then I was like, alright, this is what it is. I know what to do. And I feel like having gone through it before made the second time around a lot easier. But you never want to have to take the time off for such an extensive injury, but I do feel like having gone through it the first time helps a lot more the second time.”
When asked how her knees are feeling now, Statlander joked that they’re very crunchy, but overall she feels great.
“I feel great. They both crack and crunch a lot, but it’s fine,” Kris Statlander said. “It doesn’t hurt when it happens, but they’re very crunchy.”
When asked if she had to change her style up in the ring due to these ACL injuries, Statlander said she’s doing everything she can not to have to change up her moveset.
“I am doing everything that I can to not have to change all of my move sets and offense and stuff like that,” Kris Statlander said. “I’m doing everything that I can to be as normal, if you will, as possible. And when it came to getting back into the ring and testing out that I was still able to do everything, I think it was more of just, do I trust myself and my body still knows how to do this?
“And so far, everything that I’ve done feels great. I know people are paranoid about me still doing a Tombstone and doing the 450, but the 450 is a very easy move for me to do, and I don’t land on my knees. I just knocked the wind out of myself, landing on the person every time anyway, so that’s fine. My knees are fine with that one. I do — not worry about the Tombstone, but I do understand other people’s concerns for me with that one.
“But I wish people would — I do see some people responding being like every time I do some sort of move like I nip up or I start running, people get nervous for me, but I went through nine months of rehab and intense physical therapy, and they wouldn’t have let me back if I wasn’t ready to be back and I think people need to realize that I wouldn’t be back in the ring and you wouldn’t see me on TV if I wasn’t good to go. And I understand that it’s going to take people time to be — not be comfortable with seeing me but like to understand that I’m okay.”
READ MORE: Kris Statlander: There Were Talks About TBS Title Win Months Before My Return
What do you make of Kris Statlander’s comments? Do you have any issues with her doing moves like the Tombstone piledriver after tearing both of her ACLs? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit Haus of Wrestling with a link back to this article for the transcription.
