Former champion qualifies for first-ever AEW Survival of the Fittest match
The first-ever Survival of the Fittest match in AEW history got a new participant during Saturday’s AEW Collision.
Former AEW Women’s World Champion and former TBS Champion Kris Statlander is now part of the match that will crown the new TBS Champion after defeating Mina Shirakawa. Statlander picked up the win after countering a pinfall attempt with one of her own.
Statlander now joins the field of six for the match that will take place on the Wednesday, July 1 Dynamite from San Diego, California. She joins former AEW Women’s World Champion Hikaru Shida and CMLL Women’s Champion Persephone with three spots left to fill.
Statlander held the title for 174 days from May 2023 through November 2023, kicked off by her win over Jade Cargill that was her last in AEW.
The title was vacated after Statlander’s sometimes friend, sometimes enemy Willow Nightingale had to vacate it after suffering a shoulder injury.
The next two qualifiers were announced after Collision wrapped as Harley Cameron takes on Marina Shafir while ROH Women’s TV Champion Red Velvet returns to the main roster against Queen Aminata — both set for this Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.