50 Best Wrestlers Of The 2020s (So Far)

32. Kris Statlander

Kris Statlander All Out
AEW

The journey of Kris Statlander in All Elite Wrestling from 2020 to 2025 has mirrored the company's own evolution - a unique identity sharpened over time, underpinned by physicality, credibility, and moments of true resonance. From her early days as the "galaxy’s greatest alien" to her current status as one of AEW’s most reliable big-match performers, Statlander has quietly but firmly become a cornerstone of the promotion’s women’s division.

Her in-ring work has long been her calling card, and it’s no surprise that her biggest matches have left lasting impressions. Multiple show-stealing performances have served her particularly well during injruy layoffs, and overcoming those setbacks have doubled down the sentiment with core base. Statlander tends not to just return but to come back better. Her physicality, agility, and sense of timing lend a distinct realism to her style, whether it’s in singles sprints or multi-woman spectacles, where she often proves herself to be the glue holding AEW’s most experimental division together. Even when things have threatened to falter, her talent overcomes. Never was this more evident that during an ill-fated heel turn that still yielded a Match Of The Year candidate with Willow Nightingale.

The women's roster has often been scrutinised, but Statlander has served as a constant rebuttal to the suggestions that it's approached without love. She's remained a performer who always delivers when it matters, with a credibility that can’t be matched by many of her peers. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett