We caught up with Lena Kross to discuss her PROGRESS Wrestling debut, her plans for the future and her relationship with Nina Samuels…

Lena, your debut in the UK at PROGRESS Wrestling was nothing short of impressive. How do you feel about your performance against Rhio?

I went into the match with two goals in mind. One being to win which obviously didn’t happen, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with that. The second was to make sure when I walked out, everyone would know exactly who Lena Kross was and I can confidently say that I had no problems with that.

You seemed to dominate large portions of the match. What was your strategy going in, and did you feel as cocksure as you looked throughout?

What do you mean seemed? I well and truly dominated large portions of that match. My strategy going in was to do what I do best, to use my size and to make sure everything I do, I do with precision. I went in confident because I know what I’m capable of but in doing that I guess I underestimated what Rhio is also capable of.

Can you understand now why Rhio has been champion for almost 300 days?

Oh definitely, she’s clearly a champion that has earned every bit of success. And to stay in that top position you need to have an all or nothing mentality, which she definitely has.

How did you find the PROGRESS environment, both backstage and in the ring?

The backstage was great, everyone was very supportive and it was nice to finally meet the team that makes these shows happen. The environment in the ring was electric, the fans are loud and reactive which is what you want when you’re performing.

Speaking of the PROGRESS fans, what was your impression of the in-room and online reaction to your debut?

I can imagine that a lot of those fans had no idea of who I was and may have been curious about the announcement of my debut. I’m confident in saying that after the show, regardless of if they were cheering or booing. They now know exactly who I am and won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

After such an impressive debut, what are your hopes and dreams for the future in PROGRESS Wrestling?

I’ll be back. I don’t like not getting what I want and I want the PROGRESS Women’s World Championship.

Lastly, did you manage to speak to Nina Samuels after the match – there are a host of women with eyes on the PROGRESS Tag Team Titles.. does that take your fancy with her?

Yes, I was able to call her after the match for a debrief and of course I think the tag team titles would look great on us. It would be exciting to take what we’ve learnt from tagging at Sendai, into PROGRESS. We both have strengths that compliment each other so well and I think if we had the opportunity to continue to grow as a tag team, we’d become a pretty big threat.

PROGRESS Wrestling tickets are available for all future shows via the dice app, including this August’s event, WRESTLING NEVER SLEEPS featuring Rhio vs Session Moth Martina for the PROGRESS Wrestling Women’s World Championship. See you on Monday, 26th August!

Watch wrestling online. You can see Rhio vs Lena Kross in PROGRESS Wrestling, by subscribing to DEMAND PROGRESS PLUS.