One of the best matches of both Kris Statlander and Julie Hart’s careers so far came at WrestleDream 2023. Julia Hart has clearly come a long way in this past year, as she proved why she should be considered one of the best workers in the AEW Women’s Division.
This TBS Championship match had a clear and simple story. It pitted Kris Statlander’s power, as one of the strongest women in AEW, against the speed, agility and cunning of The House of Black’s Julie Hart. It gave both workers something to build the match around, and helped tell a great story in the ring.
However, the match wasn’t without it’s fault. While Hart has come a long way, and could be considered a top female worker, she still had some botches in her. One saw her leaping off the back of Statlander. What should have been a jumping elbow drop saw her slip and fall, looking awkward as she struggled to complete the move against the champion.
Julia Hart almost hit Statlander with the black mist, but Statlander punched her head away, giving a great shot of her spitting the black goo away. Statlander then hit a spinning piledriver and a deadlift German Suplex, hitting moves that you wouldn’t have dreamt seeing in an American women’s match just a few years ago.
Julia Hart almost won the match with her moonsault, but Statlander got her foot on the rope with just milliseconds before the three count. Hart then locked in her submission finisher, but Statlander showed her incredible power by rolling over, lifting Hart onto her shoulders before hitting back-to-back Tombstone Piledriver and Sunday Night Fevers to win the match and retain her title.