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Thekla: 'I'm the face of AEW now'

Thekla, who recently defeated Kris Statlander to become AEW Women's World Champion, has declared she's done doubting herself and is now embracing her role as the face of AEW.

Thekla attributes her newfound confidence to experiences in Japan over the past 1-2 years, where she developed her unique wrestling style. 'Confidence can come and go, that's part of the journey,' she stated, 'but one of my biggest accomplishments is getting to a point where I can say, 'I'm that good,' and actually believe it.'

The 32-year-old champion credits her creative background—including punk rock, art, and various artistic pursuits—for helping her develop a character unlike anyone else on the AEW roster. 'I draw from everything,' she explained, noting that not growing up with traditional wrestling gave her the freedom to create something completely original.