Summary

Megan Bayne says one of the strongest connections between her and Lena Kross came from growing up inspired by the same kind of dominant women's wrestlers.

Speaking with Renee Paquette on *Close Up*, Bayne said she and Kross bonded over both looking up to Chyna and Beth Phoenix. Bayne connected Chyna to breaking gender norms and said Beth Phoenix represented a different image of what a diva could be, while still feeling like a legitimate force in the ring.

Bayne and Kross started teaming after Penelope Ford suffered an injury in February, and they have since become the AEW Women's Tag Team Champions as Divine Dominion. The interview also adds another layer to a team identity Bayne recently discussed when she said she and Kross came up with the Divine Dominion name themselves.

Quote from Megan Bayne

"Well, I think that one’s an easy one, and actually, I think that’s one of the biggest things that we have in common. I know the both of us kind of bonded over some of our inspirations being obviously Chyna and Beth Phoenix. I feel like Chyna was someone who set and challenged the gender norms for Beth Phoenix, I feel like she was someone who put a different look on what a diva can be. I feel like she was such a dominating presence and she was such a legitimate, skilled in-ring wrestler, but she also looked good while she did it. And I feel like that’s something that I and both of us aim to do is we want to tear people apart, but we want to look pretty while we do it."

What Chyna and Beth Phoenix say about Divine Dominion

Chyna and Beth Phoenix shaping Bayne and Kross helps explain why Divine Dominion has been framed as a power team with a polished presence, and that gives the AEW Women's Tag Team Champions a clearer identity as they settle into the top of the division.

Bayne's description also makes the act feel more intentional. Rather than just being a team formed out of circumstance after Ford's injury, Bayne and Kross now have a shared set of influences that lines up with how they want to present themselves on screen.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.