Thekla says she has ‘respect’ for Yota Tsuji’s comments regarding AEW
AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla has addressed Yota Tsuji’s comments on All Elite Wrestling.
Earlier this year, during an interview with Tokyo Sports, Tsuji addressed the upcoming AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door PPV and how he might skip the PPV. Tsuji suggested protecting the promotion and its wrestlers by not attending the event.
Recently, during an interview with TMZ Sports, Thekla discussed Tsuji’s comments and shared how she respected his opinions.
“I’ve been seeing the comments that [Yota] Tsuji has been making. And honestly, I kind of respect him for that because he’s just straight up like, ‘No, we got our own thing here in Japan.’ And he would rather have it all apart from each other,” she said.
“I have never been this proud to represent a company, I have to say. This is the most precious bling I’ve ever been holding as a champion. And especially with how Stardom and me, we’re not on good terms, per se. And I’ve never been that proud to represent Stardom anywhere.
“As I said, it’s interesting to see how it’s all gonna play out honestly, because AEW and New Japan and Stardom and CMLL, I feel like we’re all in one group, one kind of family. But there’s also with comments like Tsuji is making, it’s interesting to see where we’re gonna go. Are we gonna be a happy family or is everybody gonna go their own ways? I think the Forbidden Door is there to be kicked down and burned, but also, there’s something to New Japan trying to get back on their feet just all by themselves. That’s what I think,” Thekla concluded.
While there are no confirmations on Tsuji’s Forbidden Door participation, Thekla is set to defend her title against Starlight Kid at the event.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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