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Reason why AEW star declined WWE offer in favor of All Elite Wrestling

By Joe Anthony Myrick

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JULY 24: (L-R) Kia Stevens aka Awesome Kong, Brandi Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, Nyla Rose, and Jack Perry aka Jungle Boy speak onstage at the "All Elite Wrestling" panel during the TBS + TNT Summer TCA 2019 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. 637825 (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for TNT)
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JULY 24: (L-R) Kia Stevens aka Awesome Kong, Brandi Rhodes, Cody Rhodes, Nyla Rose, and Jack Perry aka Jungle Boy speak onstage at the "All Elite Wrestling" panel during the TBS + TNT Summer TCA 2019 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. 637825 (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for TNT) /
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Before ultimately signing with AEW, this standout wrestler was on WWE’s radar and even offered a contract. Here is the reason why she turned WWE down.

While AEW has its fair share of former WWE Superstars littered across its roster, the promotion also has a decent crop of underseen, little known talent they picked up from the independent circuit. Among those talents include Kris Statlander.

The self-proclaimed “Alien” has already found much success in All Elite Wrestling. Most recently, she defeated one of the women’s division’s key figureheads in Britt Baker to earn the right to face Riho for the AEW Women’s Championship on New Year’s Day. Before all of this success came her way, she was moments away from signing with the WWE.

Earlier this year, an appearance by Statlander on the SmackDown Live after WrestleMania led to a report from Squared Circle Sirens suggesting she signed with WWE, but later (per Bell to Belles), SCS retracted their report as it wound up being disproven. Although, it appears Statlander was indeed on WWE’s radar in the past.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (per a report from WrestlingNews.Co), there were talks between Statlander and WWE about her signing a contract, but those talks broke down when money figures were brought into the discussion from both parties.

Apparently, AEW not only offered Statlander more money, but the opportunity to come to television faster than she would have going through the ranks of NXT.

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So far at least, it looks like Statlander’s decision has worked out for the better. She has quickly become a fan favorite thanks to her performances on both AEW Dark and AEW Dynamite.

Again, she will compete against AEW Women’s Champion Riho with the title on the line during the Jan. 1, 2020 episode of Dynamite airing live on TNT.

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