In PWPonderings latest exclusive interview, Steph De Lander (@stephdelander) sits down with Scott Mitchell (@scott44mitchell) to discuss her return to the independent scene, reinventing herself, her recent match at ACW, her upcoming match with Megan Bayne this weekend at GCW, WrestleMania week plans, including her match at Ladies Night Out 16 against Airica Demia, and her four-way match at EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 11, her book, her goals, and more. Watch the whole interview in its entirety below.

We got to see you completely reinvent yourself as the wonderful Steph De Lander that we now see before us. What went into this character reinvention for you?

“Just connecting with myself. There were a lot of different things that went into it, but I mean, part of it was funnily enough, I love stand-up comedy, and I was listening to a podcast with Bert Kreischer, and Bert was just being himself, and I was just thinking that this guy’s so crazy and insane, and everyone loves him. Why’s he so over? I was like, oh, he’s over because he’s himself. He does stupid sh*t, says whatever he wants, and is himself. I was like, okay, maybe if I just be who I really am and present my authentic self, fans may be able to connect with that more than a polished version that I’m trying to present to TV. I was always scared of getting tattoos, because I thought WWE wouldn’t want that, because what if they gave me a character that didn’t suit any tattoos that I got? I was scared to wear outlandish gear because I didn’t know what they wanted me to be. I was waiting for them to tell me what they wanted from me, and then I realized that that was never going to happen. I had to show them who I am. From that, I realized I had to lean into who I am and show that. Once I started doing that and fans started connecting a little bit more, then I realized that I think the best option is to just be my authentic self.”

You recently competed at ACW on March 14^th, where you won the ACW Women’s Championship from your old friend, Indi Hartwell, and J-Rod. What went through your head when you accomplished this?

“It’s crazy because I was a fill in last minute for that match because someone had to pull out. They texted me the day before I agreed to do it, like, ‘Hey, are you available March 14^th?’ and I said no because I had another booking I was doing and I was managing on that other booking. And then, Cardona texted me and was like, ‘Are you wrestling this weekend?’ and I told him no, I’m managing. And he was like, ‘What are you doing? You’ve done this whole thing saying that you want to wrestle, why aren’t you wrestling?’ and I was like, because I agreed to this booking and I don’t want to pull out. He told me, ‘Steph, I think you need to do what’s best for Steph De Lander right now and that is to wrestle,’ so then I hit up the original company and told them, ‘I’m really sorry, I have a big opportunity to have my return match, I think I need to do this,’ and they were totally understandable. I hit up ACW again, and I was like, ‘Hey, has the spot been filled?’ and they said no and brought me in. They brought me in, and we organized it a couple of days beforehand. I didn’t know I was going to win the championship or anything. I think it just all fell into place and lay out the way it was supposed to. It was an awesome moment, it was an awesome, confidence boost of okay, I made the right decision, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be, doing what I’m meant to be doing. So, that was a really great moment and the best way I could kick off this phase of my career and this comeback season.”

From the looks of it, you haven’t missed a step in the ring. You’re a surefire candidate to win the PWI’s Comeback Wrestler of the Year. Is this a goal of yours?

“Yeah, definitely. It’s funny you say that because I feel like I haven’t missed a step either. I felt like that after the first match, and I was like, maybe that was just a fluke. Then, I had another match in Chile, and I said to Indi (Hartwell) afterwards, ‘I’ve been out for two years, but I don’t feel like I’ve been out for two years.’ My body knows what it’s doing. I know how to wrestle. I’ve been doing this long enough. I feel good, and I feel confident. So, my ultimate goal this year is to win the PWI Comeback of the Year award. Everything that I need to do to achieve that all trickles down. I want to win more championships, I want to wrestle in the UK, I want to wrestle in Japan, and I want to wrestle in Mexico. I’ve never been to any of those places. I want to wrestle in Germany. I’ve been to those places, but haven’t wrestled in them. Like, there are a lot of different things that I want to do that I’ve never been able to do. I think if I tick off all of those boxes and do all the things I say I’m going to do this year, I’m going to need to see someone else having a comeback as good as mine. I’m gunning for it, I’m going for it. Every day when I wake up in the morning, it’s what I think about. I do think that I’m going to achieve that and more this year.”

Your next match will be taking place on Saturday, April 4th, where you will be returning to Game Changer Wrestling in Los Angeles, CA, for it’s big event, “MANiAC.” What’s your mindset heading into this one and facing off with Megan Bayne?

“Megan and I were supposed to wrestle a couple of years ago before I got hurt. It never ended up happening. I see a lot of myself in Megan, and I see a lot of Megan in me. We’re the same height, similar build, we’re both powerhouse-type wrestlers. She has done so much in her career already. Right now, she’s an AEW tag champ with one of my best friends, Lena Kross. So, they are absolutely killing it. But what Megan has been able to achieve in the last few years is inspiring. For me, there’s no point in being a big fish in a small pond. I don’t want to wrestle people that I’m already better than. I want to wrestle people who are at my level or better than me. Wrestling someone like Megan is only going to make me better. Is it intimidating? Of course it is. But, I’m intimidating. I’m SDL. So, I think we are a good power match. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think everyone should tune in and watch that match.”

You were also announced for EFFY’s Big Gay Brunch 11, on Saturday, April 18th, where you will be facing off with Charli Evans, Allie Katch, & Kidd Bandit. What’s your mindset heading into this one?

“I mean, Big Gay Brunch is always fun. It’s always awesome. It’s always high energy. My mindset going into that, I’ve wrestled all of them before. I know Charli very well, I know Allie very well, I know Kidd Bandit, I’ve wrestled all of them before My mindset with that match is to have fun. That doesn’t mean that I’m not taking it seriously, that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to whoop their a**es, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to win. I’m sure as hell going to win that match, but that match I’m looking at as my fun one for the weekend, for sure.”

How important is it to you to be on a show with such a heavy and great LGBTQ+ representation?

“Wrestling is such a male-dominated industry. Almost everyone making decisions is an old, straight white man. So, I think it’s cool to see a company and a show that’s so against the grain and so opposite of what a lot of other professional wrestling is. I think it’s always good energy. It’s always good vibes. It’s a place for people who may not always get a lot of other opportunities. It’s a place for them to come and shine and show what they can do. I think there will always be a spot for the brunch, and I think it’s a very important show.”

Also announced for WrestleMania weekend, you will be facing off with Airica Demia at Ladies Night Out 16 on Thursday, April 16th. This match will really set the tone for the whole weekend. What’s your mindset heading into this one?

“Yeah, I just saw that she got an ID deal, which is awesome. I think, as you said, my mindset is to set the tone. It’s to pick up my first win of the weekend. It’s to show that whatever new sh*t this up-and-coming girl is going to try and throw at me, I’m going to be able to take it, catch it, reverse it, and throw it into my power moves. Yeah, just show, hey, I’m Steph De Lander, I’m here. I’m back in the ring. I’m on the run of my life, I’m on the run of my career. Unfortunately, she’s just going to be the first of many to be knocked down by SDL.”

You wrote your own book, which I proudly own a copy of and have read from cover to cover. What made you want to do this? Why should fans buy this book?

“I always would joke, whenever something would happen to me, I’d joke, ‘that’s going to be a good chapter in the book,’ or ‘that’s another chapter in the book.’ I got to the point where I was going, what book am I talking about? I keep saying that there are all these chapters; why don’t I just start writing them? Then, I got injured, had my neck surgery, and thought, well, if there’s ever a time to sit down and write a book, it’s while I’m sitting home recovering from injury. That’s why I did it at that time. And, I wanted to get my story out there. I also wanted to do it while I’m independent, so nobody can tell me what to do, how to do it, or try to take the money from it. I had no obligations to any company at that point, so I could write whatever I wanted, publish whatever I wanted, and nobody could tell me that I couldn’t. So, I loved the idea of that. Also, I think a lot of wrestling autobiographies, wrestlers write them at the tail-end of their career or when they’re retired, or when they have WWE backing them. So, not many people at a true independent level, especially in the middle of their career, have written an autobiography of what has happened so far up to the present day. I liked the idea of being able to write about that while I was in it, and then in a few years, if I want, I can do Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and whatever else. I like the idea of doing it while I’m going rather than waiting until it’s all said and done and trying to look back and remember… I think they should buy it because it’s a very honest and raw look into my life and into what it takes to be a successful wrestler. It has the highs and the lows. I don’t sugarcoat anything. People who know me say that they read it in my voice. Like, it sounds very authentic. I didn’t have a ghost-writer; I wrote it all myself. It’s pretty much as close to getting inside my own brain as I think you’ll ever get. So yeah, if you want to learn more about my life, my story, and what it takes to be a professional wrestler, I think it’s the perfect book. You can get it at StephDeLanderStore.com.”

Looking ahead for you, what are your goals now that you are back in the ring?

“As we spoke about before, PWI Comeback of the Year is definitely number one. Then, I want to go to Japan, the UK, Mexico, and Germany. I’d like to do all of that this year. I’d like to collect a couple of more championships. Honestly, wherever I end up, as I said, as long as I’m wrestling, I’m happy. I’m not putting a hard goal of I’m trying to go to this company or this company or trying to do this or trying to do that. I’m trying to put my best work forward and let my work speak for itself. Wherever I end up, I’m going to make the most of it. I’m going to have a lot of fun doing it. I’m having a lot of fun right now. But yeah, I’d say those are my biggest goals. Wrestle as much as I can, travel the world, and have fun while doing it.”

Do you have any opponents you’d like to square off with?

“I mean, I’m ticking off the main one this weekend, Megan Bayne. She is at the top of the list. Being able to wrestle Megan will be a huge tick off that list. I’d like to have a singles match with Indi Hartwell at some point. I’d love to get in the ring with Shotzi. I’ve been a huge Shotzi fan my entire life. Getting to wrestle her would be awesome. Priscilla Kelly as well. I’d love to get in there with Priscilla. I feel like we’d have a lot of fun. We trained together at NXT, and I feel like we’d have some good chemistry. I also want to see who else is out there. I want to go to every corner of the United States and go overseas. I want to get in there with girls that I’ve never even heard of before. I just want to see who’s there, who’s out there, what they can bring to the table, and what we can create together.”