Thekla says things became very real following the controversial STARDOM storyline that ultimately led to her departure from the promotion and eventual move to AEW.
After losing to Sayaka Kurara at STARDOM All Star Grand Queendom in 2025, Thekla attacked STARDOM president Taro Okada at ringside in an angle that resulted in her being “fired” from the company. The storyline later paved the way for her signing with AEW.
While speaking with Daily Express US, the current AEW Women’s World Champion revealed that some fans reacted so strongly to the angle that she began receiving death threats and was even harassed at events.
“When the death threats came in and everybody was like, ‘Hey, somebody call the police, she needs to leave the country,’ and people started spitting at me at the shows,” Thekla said, “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I think this is actually really working.’”
The storyline didn’t end with the initial attack, either. STARDOM later revisited the angle on two separate occasions, including confrontations between Thekla and Okada at Arena Mexico in October and again during the STARDOM American Dream event in Las Vegas during WrestleMania weekend.
Thekla also admitted during the interview that playing the villain role is something she naturally enjoys.
“I just love being a little prick,” she said. “I call everybody dumb b*tch, you know,” she added while laughing. “And people are just like, yes.”
One quick-hit reaction from fans online? Many agreed the angle clearly succeeded in generating major heat.
The AEW star also reflected on the unlikely paths both she and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther have taken coming out of Austria, which has historically had a very limited wrestling scene.
“What are the odds that we both come from a very small country with basically no wrestling scene? What are the odds that that two people make it this far, him and WWE and me and AEW? It’s it’s really remarkable,” she said.
