Britt Baker

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Baker Says WWE Expressed Interest in Signing Her

Britt Baker is the biggest female star in All Elite Wrestling and the reigning AEW Women's World champion, but she divulged this week that AEW isn't the only wrestling company that values her.

Appearing on Throwing Down with Renee & Miesha (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Baker said WWE recently made it clear it had interest in signing her if she was available.

Baker's boyfriend, Adam Cole, was in WWE at the time, but he has since signed with AEW, making his debut at All Out last month.

Regarding the overtures, Baker said:

"It's no secret, [Adam] has already said it, that cat is out of the bag and I'm not going to get in trouble. WWE was definitely poking the bear a little bit through him recently, when I was still with AEW. 'Hey, we're interested in her,' without teetering the line of contract tampering, they definitely let me know that they had interest in me, but it wasn't a mutual thing. I'm very happy with AEW and thankful for the opportunities and this is where I want to stay."

While WWE remains the biggest pro wrestling company in the world by a significant margin, AEW has made a ton of headway over the past two years and is a more than viable alternative capable of giving wrestlers large contracts and a platform to shine.

There is no shortage of wrestling fans who prefer the AEW product to WWE, although it is fair to say the women's division is one area in which AEW still clearly lags behind.

Baker is the one woman in AEW who has consistently been booked well and given regular television time, however, which is why it is understandable that she wants to stay put.

Many of the best women's wrestlers in the world reside in WWE, including Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Asuka and Bianca Belair, so it is possible Baker could have gotten lost in the mix in WWE.

As things stand, Baker is likely in the right spot, although she can rest easy knowing she has another good option available.

Former WWE Ref Thinks Vince is Concerned About AEW

Longtime former WWE referee Mike Chioda believes WWE Chairman Vince McMahon may be worried about AEW's ascent in the pro wrestling world.

Answering a question on the Monday Mailbag podcast for AdFreeShows (h/t Upton), Chioda gave his take on what he thinks McMahon is feeling regarding AEW:

"Yes, I think he is [concerned]. He always wants to be on top. I have seen him demolish and step on a lot of territories around the country and around the world. He wants to be No. 1. Everybody wants to be No. 1 whether it's in their sport, in their career, or owning a company. I definitely think he's very concerned right now because they're picking up some good talent. I know Vince. Vince is concerned.

"AEW's ratings are going up. People are interested. I'm interested in watching AEW. They're selling out arenas. The energy in the crowd is just phenomenal now. They went from one show to two shows now. Everybody is talking AEW."

Chioda broke into WWE in 1989 and worked there for over 30 years before getting released by the company last year. Given how long he worked for McMahon, there may be some validity to his comments.

The veteran official also worked a couple of dates for AEW last year following his WWE release, giving him firsthand knowledge and experience with both promotions.

McMahon is undoubtedly well aware of AEW given that NXT went head to head with Dynamite on Wednesday nights for over a year until NXT moved to Tuesday nights.

For now, Raw and SmackDown are still bringing in significantly higher viewership than Dynamite and Rampage, although Dynamite has been near and even above Raw's rating in the 18-49-year-old demographic recently.

McMahon would likely prefer not having any competition in the pro wrestling space, but there is plenty of room for multiple companies to thrive, and given WWE's massive footprint and multiple billion-dollar television deals, it is in no imminent danger of falling from its perch.

Big Push Planned for Theory on Raw

Austin Theory made a big splash on Monday night's episode of Raw, and that reportedly may continue to be the case moving forward.

According to H Jenkins of Ringside News, a tenured member of the WWE creative team said there are "big plans" to heavily feature and push the up-and-coming Superstar moving forward.

Theory had a cup of coffee on the main roster before around the time of WrestleMania 36 in 2020, but he eventually got sent back down to NXT.

It was during his second NXT stint that Theory truly came into his own. Theory joined The Way stable with Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, and he became one of the most entertaining people on the roster during that time.

Theory was given a ditzy personality, and he played the character to near perfection while also showing off his ability and high ceiling in the ring.

At just 24 years of age, the sky is the limit for Theory, and WWE seemed to give him a ringing endorsement this week.

After getting moved to Raw as part of the WWE Draft, Theory interrupted a Jeff Hardy promo and asked for a selfie with him. After taking it, Theory knocked Hardy out and then took a selfie next to Hardy's prone body.

Involving Theory with a legend and former WWE champion like Hardy seemingly says a lot about how WWE views him and intends to utilize him moving forward.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Reason for Danielson vs. Omega Opening Dynamite

AEW delivered a dream match on Wednesday night's Grand Slam edition of Dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City with AEW World champion Kenny Omega facing Bryan Danielson in a non-title match.

While the match was excellent, it was somewhat surprising that AEW put it on first rather than making it the main event. Apparently, there was a calculated reason for AEW's decision.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton), Danielson and Omega opened the show so that they could have a long match with fewer commercial interruptions.

Danielson vs. Omega went for 30 minutes and ended in a time-limit draw, and there was only one commercial break during the contest.

With Danielson and Omega going on first, the main event saw Britt Baker successfully defend the AEW Women's World Championship against Ruby Soho thanks to interference from Jamie Hayter and Rebel.

In addition to the rationale reported by Meltzer, the finish of Danielson vs. Omega likely had something to do with the decision as well.

Ending the show with a time-limit draw may not have sat well with the fans in attendance, which is why it made more sense to do the match earlier in the show.

After Danielson and Omega fought to a stalemate, it seems likely that they will go at it again in the near future with the title on the line.

WWE Discussing Logistical Plans for WrestleMania 38

WWE is reportedly considering making WrestleMania a two-day event once again next year after doing so each of the past two years.

According to Meltzer (h/t Middleton), WWE officials have discussed several ideas with AT&T Stadium officials regarding WrestleMania 38. The event is currently scheduled to emanate from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on April 3, 2022.

Among the ideas reportedly discussed is for WrestleMania to be a two-day event on both April 2 and April 3.

WWE made WrestleMania two days for the first time last year with WrestleMania 36, opting to try something new in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, Florida, earlier this year was held over two nights as well.

Another reported idea being talked about is to hold WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on April 3, followed by Monday Night Raw occurring at AT&T Stadium the next night as well. Both WrestleMania and Raw would reportedly have 40,000-seat setups.

Regardless of what WWE opts to do, WrestleMania 38 promises to be one of the biggest events in company history.

When WWE last held WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium over five years ago, the company reported an attendance of over 101,000, which was the highest in WWE history.

If WWE breaks up WrestleMania 38 over the course of two days, it is possible the total attendance could eclipse what WrestleMania 32 did in one night.

Cole Talks Owens Possibly Signing with AEW

Amid speculation regarding Kevin Owens' future in WWE, newly signed AEW star Adam Cole discussed his thoughts on KO possibly signing with AEW as well.

During an appearance on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Eric Mutter), Cole was asked about what he would like to see Owens do in the future:

"I mean this because I'm friends with Kevin. I want Kevin to do what makes him happiest. I really mean it, I mean it in my soul. However, of course I would love the idea of him joining me, and The Young Bucks, and everyone else here. That would be incredible. However, I do want Kevin to be happy. So there's no part of me that would be angry or upset with whatever his decision is."

Earlier this month, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Aaron Rift of NoDQ.com) reported that Owens' WWE contract is set to expire in January 2022, which is earlier than originally thought.

Sapp noted that WWE restructured several contracts prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Owens' was among them.

Prior to Sapp's report, Middleton noted that Owens tweeted and deleted the coordinates of Mt. Rushmore. That was significant since Owens, Cole and The Young Bucks were once a stable known as Mt. Rushmore on the independent scene.

Cole made his AEW debut earlier this month at All Out after his WWE contract expired. Cole was a top star in NXT for four years but decided to jump ship to AEW.

Bryan Danielson did the same at All Out, signing with AEW upon the expiration of his WWE contract.

With so many high-profile WWE stars making the move to AEW, it is possible Owens could be next on the list, especially since he has no shortage of friends over at AEW.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: contains strong language).

Britt Baker beat Kris Statlander at AEW All Out on Sunday to retain the AEW Women's World Championship.

The titleholder hit Statlander with the Pittsburgh Sunrise, which got the crowd roaring. It also appeared to tease the potential All Elite Wrestling debut of Adam Cole, who is dating Baker and known for the Panama Sunrise:

That didn't finish the match, but Baker eventually finished the challenger off with the Lock Jaw. 

After months of buildup, Baker finally became AEW women's world champion at Double or Nothing in May when she ended Hikaru Shida's yearlong reign, and Sunday represented her first pay-per-view title defense.

The 30-year-old had successful defenses on Dynamite and Rampage against Nyla Rose and Red Velvet, respectively, after Double or Nothing, while Statlander was simultaneously establishing herself as the No. 1 contender.

Statlander suffered a torn ACL in June 2020 that kept her out for more than nine months until she returned in March.

Upon returning, she went on an impressive run, going undefeated in matches on Dynamite, Dark and Dark: Elevation in the weeks and months before All Out.

Some of Statlander's most notable wins included victories over The Bunny, Rose and former Impact Wrestling women's tag team champion Kiera Hogan.

Following Baker's successful title defense against Velvet on Rampage, Jamie Hayter returned and helped Baker attack Velvet. That led to Statlander making the save and setting the stage for their match at All Out.

Statlander is one of the most physically gifted women in all of professional wrestling, and she had some previous experience vying for the AEW women's world title.

The Galaxy's Greatest Alien challenged Riho in January 2020 and Rose in February 2020, falling short each time.

She looked to make the third time a charm at All Out, but Baker completed yet another successful defense and proved once again why she is the face of the AEW women's division.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).