Sometimes it doesn’t come the first-time round. A fully formed and fleshed-out character takes time, effort, and, most importantly, the right environment to grow. What that environment actually is can vary greatly depending on the person. Some people need the opportunity to shine. Others must be forced out of their comfort zone into unknown waters, where they can either sink or swim. Then there are the people who thrive in a space where they feel safe to be themselves. Whatever method is used, it takes a lot to create a character.
Often as characters develop, they undergo a revamping of sorts. These transformations can be small and subtle or dramatic and sweeping. Either way, AEW has had its fair share of revamping’s, and here are a few of the best.
Red Velvet
Someone who has been around almost since the inception of AEW, Red Velvet has a lot of trouble trying to hit her stride. She didn’t quite slot into the spot of Brandi Rhodes’ protege. As a singles star, she couldn’t entirely break out on her own. For a long time, it felt like Velvet was left to wander in the wilderness for a long time. That was until Red Velvet found her home as a Baddie.
Working as Jade Cargill’s henchwoman alongside Keria Hogan, Velvet finally had the opportunity to embrace a heel persona. Her cockiness made her a natural heel, and this potion allowed her to fully explore that. As a heavy, she wasn’t responsible for cutting long promos, which has not been Velvet’s strong suit. Red Velvet fitted nicely into the slot. Sometimes in wrestling, it is not about how high up you are on the card but how well you do in your role, and Velvet is a great mid-level henchwoman.
Sadly, Velvet’s time as a Baddie was cut short due to injury. Hopefully, Velvet will be back in the Baddie section in no time.
Tay Melo
Released from WWE as part of the ‘budget cuts’ cull during COVID-19, Tay Melo quickly found a new home in AEW. However, it took some time for Conti to find her place.
Initially starting out as Anna Jay’s tag partner in AEW’s Women’s Tag Team Cup Tournament, Melo began to stand out in her AEW Women’s Championship match. After coming up short against Britt Baker at Full Gear 2021, Tay built on that momentum and faced off against Jade Cargill for the TBS Title at Revolution the following year.
Tay’s revamping was not a grand transformation; it was far more subtle and shows that some people just need time and practice before taking that next step.
Anna Jay
Making her debut in AEW early on in her career, Anna Jay started out in AEW as a fun-loving babyface with a magician gimmick.
A few months later, Anna Jay got a massive revamp. Recruited by Brodie Lee, Jay became the first female member of the Dark Order. It was here that Jay really found her footing. Her spots on Being the Elite allowed Jay to showcase her personality and gain traction with AEW fans. Amongst a crowd of people, Jay could bounce off outlandish characters like Colt Cabana and John Silver to build her confidence and transcend wrestling with a meme that extends beyond the wrestling world.
Anna Jay has continued to build as a wrestler. Her great showing against Jade Cargill at this year’s Double or Nothing is one standout. Jay was also one of the women in the bloody Lights Out tag match that captured fans’ attention. If her star continues on this trajectory, the future looks bright for Anna Jay.
Kris Statlander
Winning everyone’s heart as the Galaxy’s Favorite Alien, Kris Statlander recently underwent a dramatic transformation. Stepping away from her faction mates, The Best Friends, Statlander ditched her old persona for a more serious edge.
With a new hairstyle and ring attire, Statlander looked to step out of the shadow of her own teammates and have lengthy singles run. She already has the skill set as one of AEW’s most athletic women’s wrestlers; her new hairdo was a green light for Statlander to go all out.
Unfortunately, Statlander’s latest run has tragically been cut short. During a dark match on August 11th Statlander completely tore her ACL. While Kris hoped for the best, it turned out to be the worst, stating that the injury would leave her out of action for 6 to 8 months.
Welp. One knee fixed, one to go. After the first knee injury I came back stronger and better than ever so it’s all over for you all when I come back from this one. I’m sorry to let you all done once again. I’ll be back bigger, more powerful, and more than a woman. — Kris Statlander (@callmekrisstat) August 11, 2022
Statlander remains steadfast in returning to action. Refusing to stay down, Statlander is looking to come back bigger and stronger than ever, ready to pick up with her new gimmick where she left off.
Britt Baker
It’s hard to remember a time when Britt Baker wasn’t the trash-talking mega-star heel we know her as today. But cast yourself back to early AEW, and Britt wasn’t the D.M.D we all love. She was a bland babyface that rarely got a solo spotlight.
That all changed on the Jericho Cruise, where the seeds for Britt’s current character were planted. Over the coming weeks, her confidence built, and eventually, she transformed into who she is today. With this new persona, Baker has become one of the linchpins in the AEW women’s division. Britt’s audacity and mic-skills saw her popularity grow and eventually culminated in her ending Hikaru Shida’s reign as AEW Women’s Champion.
Thanks to this revamping, AEW has a massive star in Britt, one that AEW look to build their entire Women’s division around.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, folks, some of the greatest vamps in AEW history. Hopefully, these women will continue to find their footing and build upon bigger and better things with these changes.
Those are my thoughts, but what do you think? Who has gone through the best transformation in AEW? Who are some wrestlers that need revamping? Let us know what you think. We love hearing from you.
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