Lee South

For some, Thekla’s AEW Women’s World Championship win over Kris Statlander this past week came as a surprise. For the new champion, it’s anything but.

Boasting an abundance of confidence, a look and style unlike anyone on the AEW roster, and a ceiling that puts her among the best the promotion has to offer, Thekla’s rise is the result of potential realized.

“Confidence can come and go, that’s part of the journey,” she tells Uncrowned.

“But one of my biggest accomplishments is getting to a point where I can say, ‘I’m that good,’ and actually believe it. That started about a year or two ago in Japan. During my AEW debut period, I didn’t compare myself to anyone else. I just did me. That’s what you have to do to be great — enjoy it, be yourself and have fun.”

Thekla’s path to success has remained rooted in staying true to who she is. She describes herself as a creative kid who found a variety of outlets throughout her life. Growing up in Austria, she embraced punk rock and found herself immersed in art. And then she discovered professional wrestling.

“I tried everything: Drawing comics, playing guitar, being in a band, fashion, photography. I’d get obsessed for a few months, then move on,” she says.

“When I started wrestling, it clicked early that all those creative passions could be combined into this universal art form called pro wrestling. Around my debut, I realized I could create everything — my name, gimmick, fighting style, look, music, attitude. It’s the only thing that’s never bored me.”

Thekla, 32, stumbled into her first taste of wrestling at a local punk rock show at age 19, and swiftly became obsessed with the bizarre nature of what she witnessed. As she navigated building out her own in-ring career, she recognizes the significant creative edge she retained in shaping her character due to her unique introduction to the business.

“I think I have an advantage because I wasn’t constantly watching older wrestling products," she says. "I didn’t see how people before me did it, so I’m not as influenced by the past. Not growing up with it gave me the freedom to start from scratch.

“A lot of people draw from wrestling history. I draw from everything.”

If Austria was where Thekla discovered her interests, Japan is where she says she formed the base for the wrestler she’d become.

“I consider myself Japan-bred. Most of my experience came there,” Thekla says, having begun working within the wrestling-obsessed country as early as late 2017.

“Being the only foreigner in companies full of incredibly talented wrestlers was a massive challenge. I didn’t speak the language at first, and the culture around wrestling was different. Iron sharpens iron. If you don’t constantly challenge yourself, you don’t reach the next level. Without Japan, I wouldn’t be half as good as I am today.”

Etsuo Hara via Getty Images

Thekla found immense success in Japan before making her transition to AEW and the United States wrestling scene in May 2025. Her final year in Japan wound up being formative — it's over that farewell stretch, Thekla says, that she truly felt she made a name for herself in her own unique way.

“I learned to just be myself without worrying about what others thought,” Thekla says. “That level of self-confidence felt like [a moment I had arrived].”

While she seemed to hit her stride right away in joining AEW, Thekla says there were moments where people questioned why she had a big entrance and how exactly she’d waltzed into the spotlight. She credits her partnership with AEW veterans Julia Hart and Skye Blue for helping get her feet set.

“Even though they haven’t been wrestling as long overall, they’ve been in AEW longer than I have. They gave me insight into how things work here and how to navigate the system. That helped a lot,” Thekla says.

“Beyond that, Skye is vicious in the ring and has an 'I don’t care' attitude, and Julia has an aura that’s off the charts. I love surrounding myself with younger women who are complete bada**es.”

While Thekla’s early moments in AEW provided opportunities for doubt to seep in, over time she realized she simply needed to look inward for the confidence and mindset to take her to the next level.

“I think it’s healthy to doubt yourself — the best always do. You have to question yourself. But arriving in AEW, I came in with a different mindset,” Thekla says.

“My career has already been a roller coaster. I’ve had hard times and great times, and I’ve doubted myself before. When I came here, I decided to just enjoy it and do what I’m good at. I’m done doubting. I’m here to slay.”

This is just the beginning of the Toxic Era, Thekla promises. And her expectation is to create a title reign that’s wholly unpredictable.

“I want to excite people, surprise people, and shock people — just like when I took the title from Kris Statlander,” Thekla says.

”Love it or hate it, I’m the face of AEW now. I want to use this platform to spread the toxic word. I have so many ideas for how to use this position. Everyone should be excited for what’s coming next.”