Britt Baker, apart from Brandi Rhodes, was among the first female talents signed by Tony Khan. Transitioning from the indies with limited television presence, Baker rose to prominence as a key figure in AEW’s women’s division. However, her visibility on television has significantly decreased lately.

Britt Baker’s AEW Absence

On November 29th, Britt Baker dropped a post on X which insinuated that she isn’t thrilled about how much she’s been used in 2023 by AEW. 

It’s no secret that Britt Baker received zero promos in 2023, which is a total surprise. She held the microphone down on a weekly basis for promos during the pandemic era. Now, things are much different in AEW.

Britt Baker Speaks On Lack Of Television Time In AEW

Britt Baker spoke with DS Shin on Ring The Belle, where she opened up about her lack of exposure on AEW television in recent memory. She also gave credit to the AEW fan base for their passion.

“I think with our very passionate fans, they’re very vocal with what they want, what they don’t want, what they like, what they don’t like. We listen, I listen. If they are telling me they want [more] or less of something, okay, I hear you loud and clear. A lot of them said, ‘We want less Britt Baker.’ So, if that’s what they want, that’s what they’ll get. Let me take a step back. Here are the rest of the women. Someone else take the ball and run with it, make the women’s division about you, and you be the face of the women’s division. When no one else can do that, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces and do it all over again.”

Britt Baker On Being A Real-Life Wrestling Dentist

Britt Baker is a real-life dentist, which she still keeps a practice. She also went into detail about how weird it was at times as AEW’s resident dentist when she was out in the real world. 

“It’s a weird territory with fans coming into the dental office, something you can’t prepare [for]. They don’t teach me that in dental school how to deal with fans coming into my office. So we’ve had some weird situations. My staff, they’re great with handling it. They really are. But you have to pick and choose those battles. So, I actually don’t take any new patients. It’s all my old patients that I know are tried and true dental patients and not crazy fans in disguise.”

Britt Baker has been backstage in recent memory for AEW’s television tapings. That did not see her get any screen time. Perhaps, Tony Khan is waiting for that right moment. With Deonna Purrazzo’s recent debut for AEW, it seems that there is no shortage of fresh names for Britt Baker to wrestle.

The reveal of the Devil at AEW Worlds End has proven to be a huge talking point among fans and those within the wrestling business. 

In the main event of AEW Worlds End, MJF lost the AEW World Championship to Samoa Joe. After the match, the Devil’s henchmen’s attacked MJF and revealed themselves to be Wardlow, Roderick Strong, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett. Adam Cole watched on as the four men beat down Cole’s ‘best friend’ before revealing himself as the Devil. 

Adam Cole has been The Devil this WHOLE TIME?!

Order #AEWWorldsEnd LIVE on PPV!
??: https://t.co/TiDZIQm5Hp
?: https://t.co/2USw7IAedK@AdamColePro | @The_MJF pic.twitter.com/JM03SIyeJU

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) December 31, 2023

The Wrestling World Reacts

After months of build, the reveal of the Devil has had the wrestling world talking. Taking to Twitter, Cole shared a snippet from the song ‘pride.is.the.devil. by J. Cole and Lil Baby. 

pic.twitter.com/mnlVGxhTXZ

— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) December 31, 2023

While some suspected Britt Baker of being the Devil, that was never the plan. On Twitter, Baker was pleased to prove those who doubted her wrong. 

I told you guys I’m not the devil.

I’m the bully…. remember? pic.twitter.com/ypfAYz33Uh

— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) December 31, 2023

Anthony Bowens has been aligned with MJF and was attacked by The Devil’s henchmen alongside the rest of the Acclaimed recently. The AEW Trios Champion had just two words for Cole and his allies. 

FUCK YOU ? #AEWWorldsEnd

— Anthony Bowens (@Bowens_Official) December 31, 2023

Alex Hammerstone recently wrapped up his time with  MLW and has teased joining AEW. The former MLW World Champion shared a photo of himself alongside MJF, and others during their time as The Dynasty and asked if MJF needs some help. 

Need a friend or two, brother? ?

— Hammerstone (@alexhammerstone) December 31, 2023

Richard Holliday was also once part of The Dynasty and shared his own reaction to the reveal of the Devil and his henchmen. 

Need a friend or two, brother? ?

— Hammerstone (@alexhammerstone) December 31, 2023

There have been some negative reactions to the closing moments of AEW Worlds End, but that hasn’t phased Samoa Joe. The new AEW World Champion made it clear he’s enjoying the ‘salty tears’ of fans. 

Damn, ankles gonna swell all these salty tears I’m drinking.

— Samoa Joe (@SamoaJoe) December 31, 2023

Britt Baker was the first woman, other than Brandi Rhodes, that Tony Khan inked to a talent deal. She was plucked from the indies, with very little television exposure, and she became one of the top women for AEW. Sadly, she hasn’t been seen on television much at all in recent memory.

Britt Baker’s AEW Absence

On November 29th, Britt Baker dropped a post on X which insinuated that she isn’t thrilled about how much she’s been used in 2023 by AEW. Her post directly brought attention to her lack of promo time.

Tonight’s #AEWDynamite:

MJF live promo time: 7 mins

Christian Cage live promo time: 10 mins

All of 2023 #AEWDynamite:

Britt Baker live promo time: 0 mins

Britt Baker’s Current Situation in AEW

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Britt Baker is actually injured. Tony Khan let this piece of information slip out during the AEW Worlds End press conference. He listed Britt Baker along with others that AEW is currently missing due to injury or illness.

The reason Britt Baker hasn’t been around apparently is an injury situation. At the media call, Tony Khan talked about key people out with injuries right now and mentioned Kenny Omega, Pac, Adam Cole, Baker and Jamie Hayter

Britt Baker has been around AEW

It was later noted by Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select that Britt Baker has been around AEW television despite her injury. She was backstage during the December 27th episode of AEW Dynamite, but she wasn’t meant to appear on-screen. Britt Baker was only visiting this time around.

Fightful is told that Dr. Britt Baker DMD was backstage at Wednesday’s show in Orlando after being out of action for several months. Obviously Baker wasn’t used on the show, and was just backstage visiting.

The nature of Britt Baker’s injury was not disclosed. The AEW All Access reality television show featured her, and highlighted her back injury at the time. Hopefully, Britt Baker will see her return in 2024, and it will translate to much more promo time.

AEW has a few people who are out of action for one reason or another. Right now, Rebel is on the verge of breaking a huge streak in her career, because she hasn’t been seen on television in a very long time.

Rebel hasn’t been on AEW television in quite some time, but she’s still been under contract with the company. Now, we have a bit of an update about her current status. 

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Rebel hasn’t been backstage much during her absence from AEW television. She is open to make a television return, and there are currently some internal talks to make that happen. 

When asking around, we’re told that Rebel hasn’t been backstage much during her absence from All Elite Wrestling, but has been open to returning to TV if asked. When we followed up on that, we were told there were some internal talks about her possibly being back on television, but specifics or a likelihood of that happening wasn’t revealed. We were told there weren’t working plans for her to wrestle. She has publicly expressed her desire to wrestle on the indies next year.

Rebel has been on television every year since 2014 as part of some pro wrestling company. This might change this year if she doesn’t wrestle, because she hasn’t been seen in 2023. 

Rebel used to appear on a regular basis, as she worked alongside Britt Baker. However, she hasn’t been on television since Britt Baker turned babyface. It was also noted that Rebel also quit her job in the makeup department at AEW.

We will have to see if Rebel makes a return to television any time soon. Right now, there are a lot more questions than answers about her current absence.

What’s your take on Rebel’s absence from AEW television? Do you miss seeing her around? Let us know what you think by engaging with us on social media! 

All Elite Wrestling fans may not be seeing Rebel for the foreseeable future following the decision for her to be pulled from programming.

Rebel, real name Tanea Brooks, originally joined AEW in August 2019 as a hair & makeup stylist for its women wrestlers.

In 2020, Rebel was introduced as a character on programming and served as the exclusive makeup artist of Dr. Britt Baker.

Removed from TV

While Rebel has remained an ally of Baker, and by proxy AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter, for some time, fans haven’t seen much of her as of late.

In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer clarified that Rebel is “no longer being used.”

Sources informed Meltzer that with Baker and Hayter now in a babyface role, it was felt that Rebel no longer worked as part of the act.

Baker and Hayter have become babyfaces due to their feud with Saraya and Toni Storm, both of whom have turned heel in recent months.

On June 30, 2021, Rebel suffered a dislocated knee cap injury in a match facing Nyla Rose and Vickie Guerrero which kept her out of action until September.

Rebel Outside of AEW

Despite being hired as a hair and makeup stylist, Rebel joined AEW with an established history in the ring.

Rebel debuted in Impact Wrestling in 2013 as part of The Menagerie, and would later begin training at Ohio Valley Wrestling.

In 2016, Rebel would capture the OVW Women’s Championship, and would wrestle for Stardom the following year.

In 2019, Rebel made an appearance on the January 23, episode of NXT, and teamed with Amber Nova in a losing effort to KAIRI and IYO SKY.

Britt Baker is providing a unique look at what it’s like to collaborate with AEW President Tony Khan.

Baker is one of the top female performers in the industry. The former AEW Women’s World Champion been one of the company’s featured stars since its inception in 2019. As she’ll proudly tell you, she is the first woman to get signed by the company.

Baker has been out of action nursing an injury, but she’s remained a mainstay on television. ‘D.M.D.’ is aligned with Jamie Hayter, AEW’s reigning Women’s World Champion.

The first-ever Women’s Owen Hart Cup winner recently spoke with FoxSportsAU about her relationship with Khan, whom she holds a great deal of respect for.

Britt Baker on Collaborating with Tony Khan

“Right now I’m not having weekly matches, I’m not having weekly promos, so it’s a little bit backed off,” said Baker. “I try not to bother him and bug [Tony] because there are 100’s of other wrestlers texting him on a daily basis, I’m sure.”

Baker says Khan has created an environment where talent feel empowered to pitch ideas to him. It’s such a healthy relationship, that he can openly express when he doesn’t love an idea.

“For example, when I was champion, I was texting with Tony several times a week with different ideas, and he was sending me his ideas, and he’s very straight-up with me. He’d tell me ‘Britt, that’s not a good idea, I don’t like that’, or ‘hey, let’s make this better’, and I really appreciate that from my boss.”

Britt Baker will be in the corner of Jamie Hayter when she defends her title against Ruby Soho and Saraya at AEW Revolution pay-per-view on March 5.

AEW President Tony Khan unexpectedly announced Wednesday morning that Britt Baker wouldn’t be competing as scheduled on this week’s Dynamite episode. 

Khan cited that she wasn’t medically cleared to compete and had been pulled from a scheduled triple threat bout against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on this week’s show. 

Dave Meltzer noted on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Baker’s injury is not considered serious although it’s still unclear what the exact injury is. She wasn’t cleared and won’t be sidelined for a lengthy period of time. 

Plans Change

Soho vs. Storm in a singles match was booked instead on the show. AEW did use Baker on Dynamite as she was seen on the stage area during the match, leading to a distraction that allowed Soho to pick up the victory.

Khan revealed on Wednesday morning’s Busted Open Radio that the planned triple threat would take place once Baker is medically cleared. 

Baker’s last Dynamite match happened when she teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Stormon on the January 11, 2023, edition of Dynamite from Los Angeles. She teamed with Jamie Hayter and defeated Saraya and Toni Storm that night. Last week, Hayter & Baker beat the Renegade twins on Rampage.

All Elite Wrestling superstar Britt Baker won’t compete on tonight’s episode of AEW Dynamite due to injury.

The company broke the news this morning on its Twitter account. AEW wanted Baker to compete in a 3-way match against Ruby Soho and Toni Storm on the Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite. Since Baker is injured, Soho and Storm will compete in a singles match.

It’s unclear what the severity is of the injury or how long Baker will be out of action. Her last aired match was against Billie Starkz on AEW Dark on Jan. 24. Baker took a kick to the face that caused her nose to bleed during the match. AEW hasn’t shared if it’s a nose injury or if there is another issue.

AEW Dynamite Preview

The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will be an emotional one. Tonight’s episode will have Mark Briscoe making his AEW debut against Jay Lethal in tribute to his late brother Jay, who tragically passed away last week. The significance of the match happening tonight is also because today would’ve been Jay’s 39th birthday.

Mark’s debut comes after Warner Bros. Discovery lifted its longstanding ban on Briscoes from appearing on AEW Dynamite or Rampage yesterday. AEW also sells T-shirts with Jay on them, with 100% of the proceeds going to Jay’s family. It’s unclear if the entire episode will be a tribute to Jay.

The rest of the show will have exciting matchups. The Jan. 25 episode of AEW Dynamite will have TNT Champion Darby Allin defending the title against Buddy Mathews. The show will also continue the build to the main event of the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, MJF’s hand-picked opponent Brian Cage taking on Bryan Danielson.

You can check out our preview article here to see the rest of the AEW Dynamite card.

All Elite Wrestling talent Britt Baker has shared her thoughts on her husband, Adam Cole, returning to the company.

Cole made his shocking return to AEW Dynamite on Jan. 11 after several months off TV for AEW. His last match was against Jay White, Okada and “Hangman” Adam Page in a fatal four-way match at Forbidden Door on Jun. 26, 2022. He had been dealing with injuries, including a concussion that people were uncertain when Cole would return. However, Cole revealed in a promo on AEW Dynamite that he will return to competition and aspires to be the top performer in the company.

During his segment, he also spoke openly about the issues he faced from his concussion, including dealing with anxiety and motion sickness during his recovery. Baker has posted on Twitter about Cole’s return and expressed how proud she was of him.

“For months, the only time @AdamColePro left the house was to go to brain/physical therapy appointments. There was a time he wasn’t allowed to fly on planes or do anything more than go for a walk. I’m so damn proud of how hard he worked every single day to get back to you all,” said Baker.

Adam Cole responded to the tweet by saying, “Thanks for being in my corner every step of the way. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

What’s Next For Adam Cole?

Although Cole made his return to AEW, it’s unclear when he will return to competition. In his promo, he didn’t say if he’s medically cleared to compete or when he expects to wrestle again. AEW also has yet to comment on when fans should expect to see Cole compete in the ring.

However, the important part of Cole’s return was that he seemed healthy and in good spirits. Cole’s immediate wrestling future may be unclear, but he is still motivated to be a top performer in professional wrestling.

Britt Baker is celebrating the four-year anniversary of her arrival with All Elite Wrestling.

Taking to Twitter, the wrestler/dentist informed fans of her milestone, adding that there is still work to be done.

Baker reminded fans that she was the first woman to be signed to a contract with AEW.

Britt Baker in AEW

After becoming the first woman to sign with AEW, Baker would go on to become the first woman to win an AEW match, defeating Nyla Rose, Kylie Rae, and Awesome Kong, in fatal-four-way action at Double or Nothing 2019.

A legitimate concussion suffered at AEW Fight for the Fallen that July sparked a feud between herself and Bea Priestly (now WWE’s Blair Davenport) leading to a match on the Full Gear pre-show which Baker would win.

Turning heel in January 2020, Baker would suffer a leg injury that forced her to miss much of 2020, and would return at All Out to lose to Big Swole that September.

Baker’s breakout performance would come on the March 17, 2021 AEW Dynamite, where she lost to Thunder Rosa in the critically-acclaimed Lights Out match.

Despite the loss, Baker’s momentum was undeniable, and would win the AEW Women’s World Championship at Double or Nothing 2021, and won the inaugural Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament at the following year’s event.

This Wednesday will see Baker team with her ally and current AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter to face Saraya and Toni Storm, in the former Paige’s second match with AEW.

It’s common to hear wrestling personalities talking about how storylines from the Attitude Era got them hooked on wrestling. However, we have seen the rise of a new generation of talent in recent years which grew up watching the programming of the more recent times. Britt Baker is one such star who actually became a fan of wrestling after watching one of the most popular storylines from the PG era of WWE.

The former AEW Women’s Champion recently had an interview with The Ringer. She talked about things such as her rivalry with Thunder Rosa, the women’s division of AEW, and more. Speaking about how she became a fan of wrestling, Britt Baker revealed that Bryan Danielson’s WrestleMania XXX story was the one that made her obsessed:

“The first story line that made me immensely obsessed with wrestling and gave me the bug to want to do something like this and want to do this because of how the story made me feel, it was the Bryan Danielson storyline at WrestleMania XXX,”

• Britt Baker on Her Match Against Saraya at AEW Full Gear: “It’s a Very Compelling Story”

Bryan Danielson defeated Batista and Randy Orton in the main event of WrestleMania XXX to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. It was the culmination of the Yes! movement that helped him reach the top of the pro wrestling mountain. Per Britt Baker, it was the coolest thing in the world for her:

“How the fans really decided the storyline. To me, that was one of the coolest things in the world—that the entire wrestling universe got behind this one wrestler who was a massive underdog and should not have been in the spot he was in, but the fans made sure of it.”

The AEW star later explained that there is no other sport where fans get to decide which star will go over. So it was really cool to see the effect of fans in leading Bryan to the huge success.

Saraya made her debut in All Elite Wrestling at Dynamite: Grand Slam.She will be returning to the ring this Saturday at AEW Full Gear. The PPV will air live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

• AEW Full Gear 2022 Preview

Her in-ring career came to a halt after suffering an injury in a 6-woman tag team match at a WWE Live Event. Saraya, fka Paige, spoke with Chris Van Vliet on Insight recently and said she wanted to have a rematch against Sasha Banks one day.

Britt recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about Saraya’s first opponent in the ring in years. The storyline for the match has become Saraya saying that AEW is her house already while Britt has pointed out that she has been with the company since the start.

Baker added that Saraya hasn’t wrestled in five years and that is a long time to be away. She noted that the two do have one thing in common though, their love for wrestling.

Britt was asked about wrestling Saraya and she said she is ready to deliver this Saturday at AEW Full Gear.

H/T: Sports Illustrated

Britt Baker is fired up after Saraya “ripped her to shreds” during a promo last week on AEW Dynamite. Saraya held nothing back when she laid out her long, painful journey to getting ‘medically cleared’ after several years on the sidelines due to injuries.

After having a few days to process everything, Baker admits Saraya is a real-life role model with an inspiring story. She aspires to achieve Saraya’s level of worldwide stardom. For now, she wants to make one thing clear: AEW is still her house. The two will clash this weekend at Full Gear after months of build, which began long before Saraya arrived in All Elite Wrestling at Grand Slam.

The former AEW Women’s champion appeared on Busted Open Radio this week to discuss her mentality heading into the pay-per-view.

“It definitely motivated me, because she ripped me apart. She literally ripped me to shreds.”

– Britt Baker on Saraya’s promo (AEW Dynamite, 11/9/22)

“So, I was kind of in shock for a second,” said Baker. “It was very surreal hearing everything she was saying to me. Even everything she went through, that was very real and raw. That’s totally her. Her digs at me aside, this girl is a real life role model. Everything she went through, everything she’s overcome. Now she’s standing in a ring across the top girl in AEW. Hats off to her, but this is my house. And the fans know that. They told you that, this is my house.”

Saraya is a Star

Toni Storm’s Interim AEW Women’s Championship defense against Jamie Hayter has the higher stakes, but Baker vs. Saraya is the most anticipated women’s match at Full Gear.

Baker says Saraya will bring new eyes to AEW, which will help the company’s expansion. She also understands that Saraya may not be angry with her specifically, even though she felt the wrath last week.

“She has her hardcore group of fans,” said Baker. “This girl’s a star. There’s probably that don’t even watch wrestling that watched her family’s movie that want to watch this match because they’re a fan of her and the story. She’s a worldwide star and I can’t take that away from her. Actually, I would like to be what she is one day. But when it comes to AEW, this is my house, you can’t come in to my house and tell me that you laid the foundation. You didn’t lay a single brick.”

“I’m happy that she said every single word she did in that promo, because this is the most fired up I’ve ever been and it’s not every day that I get to stand in the ring face to face and do a back and forth promo with someone. That was really exciting. Even though she was cutting me deep, and she certainly was cutting me deep, it was very motivating, because I did feel how raw she was.

“She was angry and i don’t think she’s angry at me. I think she’s angry at the situation, but what she told me that I don’t have what it takes to be a star, ok well if you meant to say it or not, you said it, because now, all bets are off. You’re cleared, let’s have a match, let’s go this Saturday.”

AEW Full Gear takes place this Saturday, November 18th from 19th from Newark, NJ. The event airs live on pay-per-view.

AEW announced another title match for Full Gear during this week’s episode of Dynamite.

Thunder Rosa was the AEW Women’s Champion heading into AEW All Out in September but announced that she was pulling out of the event due to an injury on the Dynamite before the PPV. She has not appeared on AEW television since. Toni Storm went on to win the Interim AEW Women’s Championship at All Out by defeating Jamie Hayter, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker in a Fatal 4-Way.

It was announced tonight that Toni Storm will put the AEW Interim Women’s Championship on the line against Jamie Hayter at Full Gear on November 19th. The PPV will air live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

A video package aired during the show and Toni Storm noted that she and Jamie go way back. She noted that the two actually lived together during the pandemic.

Jamie Hayter then responded that she hasn’t changed at all.

Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter are set for a tag team match on Rampage this week. Britt was supposed to sit down with Saraya and Renee Paquette for an interview but didn’t show up. Renee asked Saraya if she was cleared to wrestle but she didn’t answer. Saraya said there is one more doctor she needs to check with (Britt Baker) next week on Dynamite.

The AEW women’s locker room and wrestling podcaster JDfromNY206 have gotten into a war of words today on Twitter.

JD has been a vocal critic in the internet wrestling community for years now. His “Off the Script” podcast has become quite popular and sometimes his opinions garner a response from the wrestlers themselves.

Alexa Bliss recently responded to JD’s podcast after he criticized her main eventing an episode of WWE RAW with IYO SKY.

Britt Baker, Jade Cargill & The AEW Women’s Locker Room Respond To JDfromNY

Earlier today, popular wrestling podcaster JDfromNY responded to the announcement that Marina Shafir will battle Jade Cargill this Wednesday on Dynamite. He had a negative reaction to the match and Jade Cargill responded to him.

A wrestling fan sent a question to JD wondering if the wrestlers don’t realize that he is talking about the characters they play and not them personally. JD claimed that they do not realize that and Britt Baker responded with a screen shot of JD personally criticizing her.

TBS Champion Jade Cargill had some more words for JD after he criticized her for insulting him.

AEW star Rebel added that their response is not just about a singular post and claimed that he has a history of slander.

Sonny Kiss added that it is hilarious for JD to try and play the victim now that someone has responded to his criticism.

Dr. Britt Baker DMD has become one of AEW’s most featured stars, but she’s well aware that she could be replaced.

Baker signed with AEW in January 2019 and was the first female wrestler to ink a deal with the upstart promotion.

At Double or Nothing 2021, Baker captured the AEW Women’s World Championship and held the title for 290 days before losing the gold to reigning Champion Thunder Rosa.

Replaceable

Baker is, to many fans, the biggest female star in AEW today but is aware that this is only thanks to Tony Khan.

Speaking on the Swerve City podcast, Baker spoke about what she believes to be the most ‘toxic’ attitude a professional wrestler can have.

Baker is currently embroiled in a feud with Saraya, who debuted at the AEW Grand Slam: Dynamite show last month.

A match between the two, which would be Saraya’s first match in nearly five years, is yet to be announced.

Baker Vs. Rosa

Baker’s on-screen feud with Thunder Rosa is long over, but there is reportedly very real beef between the two.

It was reported earlier this year that Rosa has significant heat, not just with Baker but in the AEW locker room, especially after breaking the nose of Jamie Hayter.

Rosa is currently out of action with an injury but has not been stripped of the AEW Women’s World Championship.

Some have claimed that the injury is not legitimate and that AEW is using this as an excuse to keep her away from the locker room, a claim Rosa has denied.

It has also been claimed that Rosa has exaggerated her real injury, as she only told AEW of the injury after learning she’d be losing her title to Toni Storm at All Out 2022.

HT: PWTorch

Britt Baker has shared her thoughts on AEW Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa’s hiatus from the company.

Thunder Rosa was scheduled to defend the AEW Women’s Championship against Toni Storm at the now infamous All Out PPV. She announced on the Dynamite before the PPV that she was pulling out of the match due to injury in a backstage interview.

Toni Storm is the current AEW Interim Women’s Champion and has taken some shots at the situation surrounding Thunder Rosa. She said the following to Bleacher Report:

Thunder Rosa responded on Busted Open Radio and said she will hopefully be returning to AEW in January. The AEW Women’s Champion added that she doesn’t book the show and it is not her problem what is decided backstage.

Britt Baker Comments on Thunder Rosa

Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker recently spoke with Swerve Strickland on The Swerve City podcast and commented on not missing time from All Elite Wrestling while out with an injury. Britt noted that she was at TV every week because she wanted to be there.

Britt added during the podcast that they don’t get along but complimented Thunder Rosa for upping her game.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Swerve City podcast and give a H/T to SEScoops for the transcription.

Former AEW Women’s Champion Britt Baker has opened up on some advice she received from former WWE NXT/Raw/SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.

Baker has been pushed as a top star for AEW since the start of the promotion in 2019 and had a reign as the Women’s Champion for over a year after winning the title from Hikaru Shida back at Double or Nothing in 2021. She dropped it to Thunder Rosa back at St Patrick’s Day Slam.

While speaking to Swerve Strickland and Monteasy on Swerve City, Baker had the following to say about comparisons made between herself and the Queen.

“I do get compared to Charlotte all the time on Twitter. For me, okay cool, one of the best women’s wrestlers of all time. You’re so mean for calling me that. People don’t understand the constant pressure that comes with all the hate that you get. We are people.”

Britt Baker on Charlotte

She said being the face of a division means you’re under a microscope no matter what you do. She said that you can’t let the negative comments get to you or it will drive you insane.  Baker continued by revealing some words of advice Flair gave her.

“Back to Charlotte, her and I have chatted, and she has given me so much great advice just to get through this. She’s given me solid advice to just stay true to what you know is true. Don’t worry about the narratives that fans are creating or what they want to be true because you know what’s going on and what you’re working with. She’s been fantastic to me.”

Baker most recently teamed with Jamie Hayter in a losing effort against Hikaru Shida and Toni Storm on the October 12 edition of AEW Dynamite.

Transcription courtesy of Fightful.

Can you imagine what the world of pro wrestling would be like had social media been around in the 1980s or even the 1990s? In the glory days of the Four Horsemen, Dave Schultz, Roddy Piper, Iron Sheik, the “Monday Night War,” Brian Pillman, DX, ECW…The list goes on and on. 

Today platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have become an important piece of the business for better or worse. A proven double-edged sword in which pro wrestlers and personalities must walk a tightrope. They are in a unique position compared to an actor or athlete. Do they stay in character or not? Many times it’s a hybrid where the lines of reality are muddled, which can help advance a storyline. Then there are the missteps where a single Tweet can make or break someone. 

We’ve seen shoots, work shoots, and instances of being worked into a shoot. Among those who I think manages the waters of social media well is Becky Lynch. She’ll chime in at the right time, knowing what will get people talking. The popular performer has also been known to clap back with receipts like a recent interaction with Vince Russo or shutting down body-shaming attacks on boyfriend Adam Cole. Another good one is Britt Baker, who brings a similar approach. They’ve each grown their popularity, even when they aren’t on TV. 

MJF is known for his outspokenness on AEW shows. It’s this authenticity and confidence that has made him must-watch each week. The same can be seen on social media in which the much talked about star will provide entertainment sparring with the likes of Dionne Warwick. Though he’ll also use the space to draw awareness to some really serious issues.

MJF has called out antisemitism including comments made by Kanye West. Even when tweets are deleted, they live on in cyberspace and headlines. It’s an interesting position to be in when MJF is considered a “heel” on television delivering some pretty harsh and controversial promos.

Social media can be a slippery slope. A back-and-forth between Sammy Guevara and Andrade got heated on Twitter regarding comments Andrade made about Guevara being stiff in the ring to  Más Lucha. A war of words boiled over into reported physicality backstage at Dynamite, which led to Andrade being sent home. 

Unfortunately, social media has also given attention to trolls who like nothing more than to rile someone up. Cyberbullying and body shaming are real problems, and the pro wrestling world is not immune. Hateful things are said just to get a reaction when in actuality it only does harm to your mental health. Imagine getting inundated by these horrible messages on a daily basis.

That doesn’t make you feel good. After all, deep down these figures, we watch in the ring are human beings just like anyone else. There is a reason Jade Cargill took a break from Twitter and Toni Storm just left it altogether. It got so bad for Stardom athlete Hana Kimura, she took her own life. If that doesn’t get you thinking twice about sending a message with the intent of making someone feel bad, I don’t know what will.

Matt Cardona knows how to use social media to help grow his brand. That can be traced all the way back to Cardona’s YouTube show. He has used it as a way to spread the word about everything he has going on and selling. A tool and means to an end. Making money.

Social media can be a powerful way to get a message across and create awareness for a cause. Nobody knows that more than Mick Foley, who has raised thousands of dollars over the years through many fundraisers. Drake Maverick’s emotional reaction to losing his job after being released in 2020 went viral. So much, John Cena took note and WWE couldn’t ignore the groundswell of support. Triple H presented him with a new contract down the line on NXT. 

The pro wrestling community has also mobilized on a number of occasions, coming together to help. When the shocking news broke that Tough Enough alum Sara Lee passed away at age 30, a GoFundMe was set up for her family by friend Bull James. Thanks to wrestling stars and others spreading the word more than $103,000 were generated. A heartwarming response to a sad story. 

Social media isn’t going anywhere. And if you’re a pro wrestler it can be a blessing or curse. The ones who find success are those who maintain a level of authenticity and a genuine voice. They also practice a rule we should all be following. Think before you post.  

Who is your favorite follow? Why? Let me know in the comments or by tweeting me @smFISHMAN. 

AEW’s women’s division continues to grow.

The promotion most recently added Saraya (formerly known as Paige) to their talented roster, one that already includes Britt Baker, Athena, Jade Cargill, Serena Deeb, Madison Rayne, Riho, Nyla Rose, Kris Statlander, Penelope Ford, Anna Jay, and a ton of rising stars like Willow Nightingale, Red Velvet, Leyla Hirsch, Jamie Hayter, and Skye Blue.

When looking at the top merchandise sellers for AEW the most common names, like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Adam Page, MJF, and Orange Cassidy sit at the top, with some hotter acts like Danhausen and The Acclaimed working their way up. However, the top selling female star is not who you may think it is.

Former AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida Is The Best Female Merch Seller For AEW

According to the ShopAEW numbers (thanks to a report by WrestleNomics), Hikaru Shida currently sits among the top sellers for AEW, and is even outselling Saraya, who debuted a few weeks ago, and Britt Baker, arguably the company’s most featured star. Shida’s appearances in AEW have been scattered since she lost the title to Baker at Double or Nothing 2021, but she is set to compete this Wednesday in tag team action, which will be AEW’s debut show in Canada.

Shida defeated Nyla Rose at Double or Nothing 2020 to become the third-ever AEW women’s champion. Unfortunately, the entirety of her title reign was in front of a few fans due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite her scattered use Shida continues to remain one of AEW’s most popular stars.

A photo of the merch numbers can be seen below.

Saraya got physical for the first time since signing with AEW. After the women’s Trios match, Saraya went after Britt Baker, D.M.D. The two exchanged blows with the other women getting involved as well.

Prior to the women’s match, Baker cut a pre-taped backstage promo in which she declared she was the “Face of the AEW Women’s Division”. The former champion said “as a role model, I am morally obligated to answer the question that everybody’s been asking. The answer is ‘no’, Saraya will not be wrestling in AEW. The doctor’s have not medically cleared her to compete. So let’s ship her off in some bubble wrap and send her away. But I guess that officially makes it my house now, right?”

Saraya and Britt could be AEW’s biggest women’s feud

On last week’s Dynamite, Saraya and Baker exchanged words in a segment that was not very good. The segment made Saraya look rusty and not like the star she is. It was smart to let Saraya respond to Baker with her fists instead of throwing her right back on the mic.

• Andrade vs. 10 For AEW Rampage is Off

Baker is still one of AEW’s most popular women. Saraya is one of the biggest wrestlers that the company has signed. While it may take some time for Saraya to get her feet back under her, on paper this is a big feud. It’s probably the biggest feud the women’s division has had.

With Saraya getting physical, it seems like there has been some sort of clearance from her doctors. If that’s the case, we could be getting a match next month at Full Gear.

AEW had been battling the injury bug pretty badly over the last few months. As soon as one star would come back, another would go down in its place. Most recently the promotion lost two of their top women’s division stars, as Kris Statlander tore her ACL and women’s champion Thunder announced that she was battling a severe back injury. In La Mera Mera’s absence an interim women’s champion will be crowned at ALL OUT.

One of the women competing for the interim championship will be Rosa’s ThunderStorm tag partner, Toni Storm. However, Storm may have just missed out on missing some action as she recent underwent dental surgery. She shared a photo on her Instagram Stories of her recovering at home, assuring fans that she will be back on AEW Dynamite this Wednesday.

In case you forgot…one of AEW’s biggest superstars is in fact, a dentist. Britt Baker saw Storm’s post and took the opportunity to weigh-in with her expertise.

Baker writes, “Toni should probably stay home and rest, but I know a great dentist if any post-op problems arise.”

At ALL OUT Storm will be competing against Jamie Hayter, Hikaru Shida, and Britt Baker, but ahead of that four-way she’ll team up with Shida to battle Hayter and Baker on this Wednesday’s go-home edition of Dynamite.

Thunder Rosa wants to clear the air.

The AEW women’s champion recently revealed that she would not be able to compete at next weekend’s ALL OUT pay-per-view due to a back injury, and that an interim women’s champion would be crowned in her absence. Competing for the interim title will be Toni Storm, Jamie Hayter, and former champions Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker.

However, Rosa’s injury wasn’t the only news that surfaced this week. Multiple reports claimed that La Mera Mera had a ton of backstage heat due to working stiff in the ring. This apparently included some problems with Hayter, who had her nose broken by Rosa when they wrestled earlier this year. It also reported that Rosa was set to lose the title to Toni Storm at ALL OUT so that there would be a new face of the women’s division.

Rosa addressed the rumors of her backstage heat on today’s edition of Busted Open Radio.

Clearing The Air

Thunder Rosa says there’s been a lot of misinformation about her spread online. She faces her issues head on and anybody who has a problem with her should speak to her directly.

“Stop reading the dirt sheets, guys. Not everything that’s being said is true. Seriously, and that’s why I’m here to clear the air. If anyone has a problem with me, anyone, you can call Busted Open, you can call my number, tell me to my face. I don’t hide from my problems, I don’t run from my problems. You can talk to me, my door is open and that goes for anybody.”

“I have taken accountability for things that have happened, we have talked about it on Busted Open, we have talked about it with people and that’s the person I am. I’m straightforward and some people don’t like that. Some people are scared of that, but I’m not. I’m a trained fighter, I don’t run away from sh-t, so stop reading stupid shit online. That’s all I have to say about that.”

Her Back Injury Is Bad Enough She Can Barely Walk

The next subject the champ would address is her back injury. She clarifies that not only is her injury legitimate, but pretty severe.

“I’m not the best physically right now, I’m not going to lie. I was in a lot of pain yesterday and one of the reasons I called — thank you for having me — a lot has been happening the past couple weeks and unfortunately, I’m going to be out of commission. I don’t know for how long, [but] for a couple months, probably. I have a problem with my back. And Tommy can [attest to this], back problems are not easy. Some days it’s very good, some days they’re not. Yesterday was not a good day. It was not a good day and I was in a lot of pain.”

Unfortunately, Rosa also reveals that she’s had some trouble walking due to the back pain.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m taking time off. I want to clear the air — this is not fake, this is not a work. I am not comparing injuries to [others], but if I can f-cking walk, I can f-cking work, I’m sorry. My doctor, he didn’t clear me to wrestle. I’m not cleared to wrestle and it’s not that I don’t want to wrestle on Sunday, I can’t work.

It’s a shame about — and we were talking about this last week about how people just want the dirt — it’s a shame to put it out on social media because it discredits me as an athlete, but it also discredits me as a wrestler. I’m sorry guys, I want to walk when I’m 40. I have the right to say no, I can’t walk. I can’t do it. I’m in my rights, because I don’t want to have surgery. And if we keep going, and you know this Tommy, if we keep going through the pain, then I’m going to be out for longer and I don’t want to do this.”

H/T to WrestleZone for the transcribed quotes

This week’s AEW Dynamite saw the surprise announcement by Thunder Rosa that she is not medically cleared to compete. As a result, she will be unable to defend the AEW Women’s World Championship against Toni Storm at All Out on September 4th.

During her absence, an Interim Champion will be crowned. a fatal-four way matchup will occur between Toni Storm, Britt Baker, Jamie Hayter, and Hikaru Shida, with the winner being crowned AEW interim women’s champion.

Thunder Rosa vows to return with a chip on her shoulder and solidify her spot at the top of the card. She did not disclose the nature of her injury on Dynamite, but PWInsider reports that Rosa is dealing with a back injury. It’s something she has been working through for some time and there is no timetable for her return.

There was a rumor going around that Thunder Rosa has been suspended by AEW, but we can confirm this is not true.

Original Plans for the AEW Women’s title

According to the Wrestling Observer, Thunder Rosa was booked to lose the AEW Women’s World Championship to Toni Storm at All Out.

Say what you want about Rosa’s title reign, but AEW officials are well aware that interest in the women’s division has taken a considerable hit since Britt Baker dropped the title to Rosa earlier this year.

It will be interesting to see if Toni Storm still gets the Women’s title at All Out. Britt Baker is the most popular female performer on the roster and they might just put the gold back on her as a ‘reset.’

This isn’t the first time AEW has had to rely on an interim championship. CM Punk went down with an injury one week after winning the world title at Double Or Nothing, with Jon Moxley capturing the title at Forbidden Door. The Purveyor of Violence solidified his second championship reign when he squashed Punk on last night’s Dynamite.

For the past month, it has been reported that there has been conflict and unhappiness within AEW.

On last week’s Dynamite, CM Punk reportedly went off-script to bury ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, as a reported receipt for comments made by Page during their feud earlier this year.

Both Andrade El Idolo and Miro have liked tweets suggesting that they are being wasted in AEW and would do better working for WWE.

Baker and Rosa

It’s not just the male wrestlers of All Elite Wrestling that are dealing with drama and tension.

A new report from Voices of Wrestling’s Joe Lanza claims that AEW’s women’s division has plenty of issues within their roster.

Lanza claims that there is legitimate heat between AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa, and the woman she defeated to win the title, Britt Baker (via WhatCulture.)

“Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa cannot stand one another. They have been mortal enemies for years now at this point. They can’t look each other in the eye. They hate each other’s guts.”

“They Have been mortal enemies for years.”

Joe Lanza on the reported real-life beef between Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker.

Broken Nose

Baker isn’t the only wrestler reportedly at odds with the reigning AEW Women’s World Champion.

In his report, Lanza adds that Jamie Hayter also has a genuine disdain for Rosa, after the former suffered a broken nose during their match at AEW Battle of the Belts III.

It is claimed that after the match, Rosa was afraid that she would be attacked by Hayter behind the scenes and hid backstage.

“Rosa was scared that Jamie Hayter was going to beat the living sh*t out of her and was hiding in a bathroom.”

Joe Lanza

Responding to Lanza’s report, Fightful’s Will Washington tweeted that he too has heard of backstage conflict between Rosa and Baker & Hayter.

On this week’s AEW Dynamite, Rosa said she would be unable to defend her AEW Women’s World Championship due to an injury.

Lanza suggested that this injury may be a work, and that AEW may just want Thunder Rosa away to give people the chance to “cool off.”

An interim AEW Women’s World Champion will be determined at AEW All Out 2022 in a four-way including Baker, Hayter, Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida.