Lexis King Remembers 'Creative Freedom' In AEW

Lexis King, formerly known as Brian Pillman Jr. in AEW, shares insights about the development of his previous tag team and his overall experience with the promotion.

During a recent interview on the "No-Contest Wrestling" podcast, King highlighted the significant amount of creative input wrestlers had in shaping their characters and storylines at AEW.

"One of the greatest things, and maybe one of the worst things about AEW, was just the utter amount of creative freedom we had. I mean, we had so much," King said. "I remember Tony [Khan] coming up to me like, 'Hey I'm putting you and Griff [Garrison] together. ... we'll just call you The Blondes for now.' ... I thought The Blondes had a ring to it, but we need a little something extra ... I thought, well there's a movie called The Varsity Blues, and we're The Blondes, why don't we do The Varsity Blondes."

The second-generation wrestler explained that things began to change for the group when their third member was moved in a different creative direction.

"Things started to look a little grim when they sort've removed Julia [Hart] from the group. You know, I thought she was a very imperative part of it," King recalled. "I was very much a huge fan of AEW when I was there, and I still am very much a huge fan, and I wish them all the best."

Despite the challenges he faced, King expressed gratitude for the platform AEW provided him and other talents who have since moved on to different promotions. He specifically mentioned Ricky Starks and Ethan Page, who, like him, have found their way to WWE after getting exposure in AEW.

Since joining "NXT," Lexis King has embraced a heel persona and unique look that distances himself from his father Brian Pillman's legacy, creating a character that stands on its own merits.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "No-Contest Wrestling" podcast and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription.