AEW’s Thekla on Unfiltered Promos, Growing Popularity & Going ‘All Out’

Just as Spider-Man continues to rule the box office, one “Toxic Spider” looks to return to the top of the All Elite Wrestling food chain. Thekla’s web of violence and carnage has made the Austrian a breakout star. She’ll take on Willow Nightingale on September 26 at All Out for a shot at the Women’s Championship, currently held by Mercedes Moné. 

For Thekla, the pay-per-view event isn’t just about being next in line at WrestleDream. The foul-mouthed member of the Triangle of Madness wants to defeat Nightingale after she dethroned her for the Women’s Championship at Redemption in July. 

Despite the performer’s underhanded tactics and vulgarity that probably put the TBS and TNT censors on high alert, the rule-breaker continues to grow in popularity. The unpredictable livewire has connected with the audience in ways maybe she even didn’t expect. Though in the world of pro wrestling precedence does exist  with rebel “Stone Cold” Steve Austin a shining example. 

Here Thekla sits down with a Capri Sun in hand to talk about her recent success and why what we’ve seen is only the beginning. 

AEW

You’re this despicable person on television, yet people have gravitated to you. What do you make of this? 

Thekla: Yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong with people. Honestly, I always thought I was living on my own planet, with my own sense of humor and the things I like that not everybody else needs to like. Maybe people gravitate towards me being people who are just unapologetically themselves. I think that’s something that everybody strives to be, themselves, but it’s really hard. I guess that’s kind of something that’s entertaining to people, when they see somebody that is full-fledged whatever it is I’m f*cking doing, I don’t know.

How much freedom do you typically have when it comes to what you say on the TV shows?

Apart from the usual stuff they try to make sure I don’t say on TV? It’s very hard for me not to say on TV that whole list of words that we get fined for. Other than that, I get to say pretty much what I want. I take a lot of inspiration from what I really like, and what I really feel, and what I think about people and myself. I get a lot more creativity than I thought I ever would. I get to choose more stuff than I probably should as well. So I get away with a lot of sh*t.

I have to ask. What’s in those cups that you’re drinking while cutting those promos? 

That’s a dumb b*tch question. Next question.

Okay, we’ll keep that a mystery. But where do you find inspiration?

I watch a lot of movies. I love a good movie and going to the cinema. I like books. I read a lot of autobiographies of people I find interesting. I’m a huge music person. I listen to a lot of music and the type of music then kind of inspires the way I feel. Right now, I’m in my Hispanic, Latin reggaeton phase, which might be surprising to some people. Then again, if you watch the way I’m having matches right now and dancing around the ring, maybe not. I’m just constantly listening to music in my head in general. My heroes are people like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, you know, kind of like 60s, 70s, punk idols. I also love unapologetic characters. I like television. I’m also a big Quentin [Tarantino] fan. I’m watching a lot of old gangster movies from the 70s now. The type of Godfather type of stuff.

What shows are we watching? 

I am binging Curb Your Enthusiasm, watching the last stuff I haven’t seen yet. I’ve been turned on to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia a little bit. That’s where the chaos comes from. I like a good chaos show. 

How is it getting acclimated living in the United States and traveling throughout the country? 

Well, what I don’t love is the time zones. Americans, you got to get a hold of that because it’s very confusing to people who are from here too. I love traveling. It’s just cool. We did that Dynamite in the Midwest, and that part of America I haven’t seen too much of yet. When we have two extra days in between Collision and Dynamite. Where we get to rent a car, drive around, and eat, and find a little shack on the side of the road. I love to go to a dive bar and stuff like that. I like the trashy Americana stuff too. Like broken blinking neon lights at night. Getting into wrestling, one of my number one things was that I wanted to travel and see the world, and I’m finally getting to do that. And I’m finally figuring out a way to not only go from airport to airport and hotel to hotel. Taking out big chunks and doing it right in a way where I can I feel like I’m getting to experience America, which is a f*ckin huge and cool and diverse country. It’s insane.

AEW/Lee South

Do you have a go-to travel partner or do you travel solo? 

I mostly travel with The Dogs. We go way back because we were kind of a gang in Japan. Coming up in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and me with Stardom alongside Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, those are the guys. It’s also  the smart bi*ches. You’ll find me at the hotel bar with Lita Kross and Megan Bayne. 

Speaking of Stardom, you’re also the Artist of Stardom Champions with other Triangle of Madness members Julia Hart and Skye Blue. What has it been like seeing those two gain some fandom in Japan? 

That has been huge for me. That is one of the main reasons I even went back to Japan after my one-year hiatus. It can be very hard when you don’t have the backstory and the connections. For those girls, to make sh*t happen, because there’s a language barrier and everything. It’s really cool that we made it happen. That we got the titles. That Julia got to do the [5★STAR Grand Prix] is huge. I’ve still met so many legends. They’re like, “I’ve never been to Japan. That’s always been my dream. And Julia, especially, has been getting over so much. It’s insane. We had another title match there two weeks ago. I know how they know me there, but just coming in and everybody just yelling, Julia, Julia. They’re obsessed with her. I’m really happy. I’m really happy because I know I partly made that happen. I got, not only the connection to people who run sh*t, but also the story to make it make sense.

We’re seeing returning faces like Britt Baker with other names potentially coming in like free agents Kairi Sane. What do you make of the landscape of the women’s division right now in AEW? 

I always like new faces coming in. I still consider myself a new face somehow. It has only been a little bit over a year for me. I’m a huge fan of people just going from one territory to the other, like in the old days. I’m very excited to see who’s gonna step up, you know? Kairi has been the talk of the town. I’m only going to believe it once I see it. For the fans, it’s always cool to see a new matchup. We’ll see. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Let us see if we can pice it up a little bit.

This weekend you have your big match against Willow. You’re building up this great rivalry. What has been like to work with her?

With Willow, we’re seeing a different side of her. I’ve been known to bring out the worst in people, especially with a huge smiley babyface like Willow is. It’s cool to see that f*ck you aggression come out. I don’t like this b*tch, and I’m totally cool with that. That’s the kind of energy I like. I think a little negativity, a little hate in the ring is good because it’s about conflict. It’s about not liking each other. I don’t love a good handshake before a match. F*ck that. Let’s make it messy. I think me and Willow, we might be a forever feud. That’s the kind of stuff I like.

What does that potential match against Mercedes Moné mean to you? 

 it would obviously be a huge one. I’ve seen how people have been looking forward to it. A lot of people thought this was the match they were going to get to see at All In. When it happens, it’s going to be big. It’s going to be interesting. I know it is going to happen. When? Probably WrestleDream, maybe not, you know? Like, b*tches keep on getting hurt left and right. You never f*cking know. I’m hoping for the best, you know?

AEW/Lee South

You have so many interests. Outside of wrestling, you also have been involved with music in groups like Death Row Groupies. Will we ever see you perform on the AEW shows, maybe as part of your entrance like Chris Jericho has done with Fozzy?

Yeah, that’s a hundred percent something I want to see. I have no idea where our drummer is. He might be dead in a ditch somewhere. You never know with my friends. I haven’t heard from him in years. My other friend is somewhere stuck in Vienna. Who f*cking knows, I’m definitely going to go back to making music at some point. Whenever I get the opportunity, I think about doing an entrance with one of my past bands. Death Row Groupies isn’t the only band I ever had. I’m also super interested in starting some new stuff. We got so many cool people who are capable of playing instruments. Maybe there’s a Brody King-Thekla connection coming up sometime in the future. Who f*cking knows?

I’m also excited about seeing your work in the “House Show: Power, Spectacle, and Pro Wrestling” exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg next year. What can we expect? 

I’m currently setting up my new studio here in Arizona. I’m planning on producing some new works, which people who know my art have been anticipating for a long time. I’m not sure yet what the medium is going to be. I’m probably going to start drawing a lot, and I’m still thinking about bringing out a new, um, art book after the last one [“K.O. City”] I did two years ago. So I’ve got a lot of unused material, and I’ve got some new ideas. That might be a surprise thing that I’m just gonna drop before the end of the year.

Have you ever got commissioned by Tony Khan or another one of the wrestlers to do a piece?

I have actually. Renee [Paquette] just recently asked me if I was open to doing commissions. I usually don’t do commissions because my mind doesn’t work like that. It’s a lot. It’s already f*cking hard to be creative, and then being creative under certain circumstances, is even worse. And I don’t really care too much about the money aspect of it. Unless she gives me a really good idea, and it’s like, “You know, that would be cool.” And I say, “F*ck yeah, that’s a great idea.” Then I’d be willing to do whatever, we settle on. I might be doing a big piece for her [and Jon Moxley], actually, for their house.

Related

AEW's Will Ospreay Opens Up About Married Life, Terrifying Injury & 'All In' Main Event

You have a busy couple of months coming up. What do you want to see from your career and AEW beyond the obvious winning the championship again?

See, that’s hard for me because I came in so hot, and I’ve already done so many things. The only thing they took away from me was All In. And I’m kind of happy with that because otherwise I would have ticked all the boxes already. All the boxes, except for like coming up with cool ways to do an entrance and sh*t like that. I was holding the big one for seven months, I think? I already had really cool interactions with some of the best bi*ches we have on the roster. I remember they bring in stuff with people who are not wrestlers. Before I came to AEW, they did a feature with Doja Cat for one of her songs, and they had this little AEW music video. So I’d always be down to work with somebody who I mutually respect. That could be cool. As for wrestling, I got to do the strap match, which was the first women’s strap match we had in AEW. That was sick. I could totally see myself doing a dog collar type of match. Those kinds of special rules, like first blood and that type of stuff. For that, I need a good feud. I don’t like to get messy without a good story.

There is the potential of Blood & Guts again. 

Exactly, exactly. Who knows? From how well it went last year, good or bad, I’m not sure. I still have some scars here. I just got a tetanus shot because we might be doing Blood & Guts again. You know, I’m not taking any chances, motherf*cker. I love my job. Let’s put it that way. F*cking love my job.

AEW All Out, September 26, 8/7, Pay-Per-View & HBO Max

AEW Dynamite, Wednesdays, 8/7c, TBS

AEW Collision, Saturdays, 8/7c, TNT