Julia Hart’s journey in AEW has been one of transformation, resilience, and creative evolution. From her early days as a cheerleader to becoming a key figure in the promotion’s women’s division, the youngest-ever TBS Champion recently opened up about her experience on the AEW Unrestricted podcast. Hart spoke candidly about her development in and out of the ring, her character work, overcoming injury, and a light-hearted family tale that hilariously links her to wrestling royalty in spirit if not in name.

A standout moment in the interview came as Hart reflected on her participation in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, joking about the coincidence of sharing the iconic wrestling surname. “Oh, I love it, just because, like, my last name is Hart. So I feel like even though I’m not related, I’m not related, but, like, I still do feel a connection,” she said. She then recalled a humorous family story: “Because growing up, my dad said his uncle was Bret Hart, and I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m just gonna agree with that.’ So people thinking cool, but just being in that really meant a lot, just to have the same last name, even though not related, but yeah, it’s still really cool.”

Now widely recognized for her dark, mystical persona, Hart shared how she brought her creative ideas to life through cinematic vignettes. She credited Darby Allin for encouraging her to take ownership of her vision. “A lot of people ask me, like, ‘How did you go do that?’ Or ‘How did you go about that?’ And I got my advice from Darby with that, he told me, he was like, ‘If you have a vision, you need to go do it yourself and show you and show them,’” she recalled. As a visual thinker, Hart explained how she conceptualized and executed scenes such as “shooting myself with a bow and arrow, and then I come out of a dream,” and presented the finished work to Tony Khan after editing it with her videographer.

Her creative rise was interrupted by a torn labrum in her right shoulder, a setback she faced with determination. Hart had previously injured her left shoulder during her cheerleading career, so the pain was familiar. “When it happened, I knew exactly what it was,” she admitted. Though disappointed that it occurred during her title run, she graciously noted, “I was really happy for Willow [Nightingale] to get that moment.” Her recovery took around four months, and she returned to action against Jamie Hayter, a match she approached with both nerves and excitement.

Hart’s TBS Championship reign, which kicked off at Full Gear 2023 and came shortly after her birthday and wedding, marked a whirlwind period in her life. “It was like that last end of 2023, was, like, felt like I jumped like, five years of my life,” she reflected. At only 22 years old, she viewed her time as champion as a learning phase. “I’m still so young… I still have so much more after this… So it was just like, ‘Okay, how can I make this one the best that I can?’… not like, going over my head, like, ‘Oh, I’m the TBS champion. I know everything now.’ Like, No, I still have so much to learn.”

Her bond with House of Black teammates Brody King and Buddy Matthews has also been instrumental to her growth. Referring to Brody King as her “wrestling dad,” Hart emphasized the importance of finding a reliable support system. “Just finding good people. And I definitely found my good people,” she said.

Hart’s entrance theme, “The Heart Always Wins,” has become a source of personal empowerment. “When I hear people saying that it’s just, like, just the flames going, and I’m like, I’m on top of the world right now,” she said, revealing it was her second most-played song in 2022.

Looking to the future, Hart is setting her sights on a second title reign with a focus on growth both in-ring and on the microphone. “Probably I want to talk more… If there was be a moment where I could talk in front of the crowd and not be nervous too and just, you know, full throttle,” she shared. Her aim is not just to elevate herself but to inspire others along the way. “I would love to be the one people are like, ‘Oh, wow. Like I learned something from Julia.’ So hopefully I just strive to do that… and hopefully always, like, pulling someone else up with me as well.”