Janai Kai recently sat down with PW Mania for an in-depth conversation about all things pro-wrestling, which included the “Kick-Demon” discussing her brief stint with AEW and what her experience was like working for the four-year-old promotion. Highlights can from Kai’s chat can be found below.
How she has worked her way up through the independent scene:
“I started off with JCW, and then got brought into GCW. When I first got into it, I was very nervous. They had a lot of eyes on them, and their fanbase is very passionate. A lot of people there have their own character, and their confidence is everything. They have that theme song where fans immediately know who it is, and they have their own brand in a way, which helped me discover my brand as well.”
What it was like for her to work at Shimmer:
“It was great working here. I never thought I’d be able to wrestle here. This was when the Kick Demon moniker just started, and it was a sign to me that I was ready. Shimmer is a historical place to be. I was automatically comfortable because I knew I had something of myself already, branding-wise. This made me not too nervous.”
Says she had a great experience working for AEW:
“It was a great experience. Everyone was very welcoming, and helpful all the times I’ve been there. They gave me good advice and were just very easy to talk to. In that sense, it was very comfortable. When it came to my opponents, not much changed. Working with Jade was great. She’s great. It was awesome working with someone who didn’t really come from wrestling. She came from the entertainment field, and she just gets it. It was so much fun, and very easy to work with her. She just gets it.”
Compares the Indies to AEW:
“You have the camera angles, which they teach you on the indies. The timing is very particular, they way you do anything, you have to show it big enough for everyone to see. My facial expressions are a very strong part about my character. My kicks as well, all had to be very on point. I also needed to make my opponent look very good. I wasn’t actually crazy nervous, just a little bit anxious.”
What’s next for her future:
“I recently had matches with Joshis, and I loved working with all of them. I was very comfortable in the ring with them, and I always loved the Japanese style. I connected with it so much, and that’s definitely a goal as to why I want to put my name more out there.”