Britt Baker

It's been just over a year since All Elite Wrestling hosted its first event, Double or Nothing, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Since then, the company has put its best foot forward to convince curious fans that they should tune in week in and week out.

Let's take a look at areas where they excelled and others that still need to be improved on in Year 2.

        

High: Being a true alternative to WWE

This was the one thing AEW absolutely had to get right in its first year—and it did.

A portion of wrestling fans had become tired of WWE's product over the last few years and were hoping for an easily accessible alternative. And in walks AEW, run mostly by current professional wrestlers who feel more in touch with the wants of fans because they deal with them directly every time they compete.

The new company noticed an opportunity to fill that void and did so by not only offering some of the world's best wrestling but also by differentiating itself with a TV-14 rating, an emphasis on sports-centric themes such as records and rankings, and allowing its talent to come up with compelling promos and storylines without being hampered by management.

Once its deal with TNT started last October, there was a new weekly wrestling program on a national network that could directly compete with the WWE for the first time in almost 20 years. More importantly though, it's a product that makes a clear attempt to stand out from its competition.

        

High: Building new stars

Although AEW has relied on well-known talent such as Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Cody for the top of its cards, we saw less established roster members emerge over the past year and become some of the most entertaining aspects to many shows.

Young stars like Darby Allin, MJF, Sammy Guevara and Britt Baker used the largest platform of their careers to become staples of the AEW product in its first year. They'll be faces of the company sooner rather than later if they continue to get the kind of reactions they have been.

Oh, and don't forget Orange Cassidy who is quickly becoming one of the most marketable people at AEW.

Meanwhile, wrestlers like "Hangman" Adam Page and Lance Archer, who were draws at other promotions but didn't quite have the exposure stateside as they do now, are also reaping the benefits of making the move to a promotion with national reach.

This is a promising sign for AEW just one year in.

          

Low: Women's Division

It's hard to establish and consistently get the best out of a men's, women's and tag team division all at the same time. It's rarely seen at any company, so to witness the women's division get the short end of the stick over the past year isn't surprising, but it's still disappointing.

With wonderful in-depth storytelling coming from the other divisions, there hasn't really been a marquee storyline or feud that fans can point to in the women's division since the first Double or Nothing.

We've also seen the same handful of wrestlers over and over again, making the division appear very thin. It's not always a bad thing to lean on your best talent, but the lack of creativity for them makes it hard to feel emotionally invested. The closest we've come to that is probably Britt Baker's "role model" gimmick.

The quality of in-ring work from talent such as Baker, Nyla Rose, Riho and Hikaru Shida has been great, but the division still needs that added touch of storytelling to set it off.

Hopefully we will see more of that in AEW's second year.

         

High: Tag Team Division

Despite the women's division needing work, AEW's tag team division established itself as the world's best in just one year.

"I feel very strongly about saying that our tag team division is the best in the world and I don't even think it's close," Nick Jackson of The Young Bucks told Wade Sheridan of UPI. "Perhaps the strongest division in the company, too. Almost every tag team is pretty over with the fans."

Jackson is right. There isn't a more well-rounded division at AEW than the tag teams. It's remarkable how many tandems made a significant impact within the company in a short amount of time, and those that did are over with the fans.

Along with The Young Bucks and Lucha Brothers, who were already well-established, we saw SCU, Best Friends, Private Party, Jurassic Express and Proud and Powerful all get their moments to shine.

And we didn't even mention tag team champions Page and Kenny Omega, whose foray into the division has been a welcome one, highlighted by their match-of-the-year candidate at Revolution against The Young Bucks.

It's also worth noting the successful turnaround of The Dark Order. The act looked to be a dud early on, but teasing the Exalted One for months before unveiling Mr. Brodie Lee as the team's leader reignited fan interest in the team. There's something to say for AEW about recognizing a problem and solving it before it's too late.

Despite The Young Bucks and Lucha Brothers being the most recognized teams heading into AEW's inception, neither have held the championship. Further credit goes to the bookers for building various teams around them to have their own unique gimmicks and not relying on their biggest stars to carry the division. It's paid off handsomely, and now there are a host of duos to be interested in.

AEW set the bar very high for their tag division in Year 1. Let's see how they try to top it.

         

Low: Partnership with AAA and OWE

When AEW first announced it would partner with promotions from around the world to feature lesser known foreign talent, it seemed as if it would be a regular part of programming. That hasn't been the case.

Perhaps AEW never had plans to make this partnership bigger than it is, but it's still been underwhelming to say the least. All we've really seen from AAA on AEW is the occasional defense of the former's tag team titles held by the Lucha Brothers and the Mega Championship held by Omega. Aside from that, the only appearance we've seen from an AAA star in AEW is Laredo Kid at last year's Fyter Fest.

OWE has made even less of a mark at AEW. Cima, the president of OWE, has made a handful of appearances with the American-based company up to this point but splits his time between AEW and running his own promotion in China.

Other than him, T-Hawk and El Lindaman are the only OWE roster members to feature on AEW when they did so in a six-man tag match alongside Cima at the first edition of Double or Nothing.

The two partnerships have been lackluster, although part of it could be out of AEW's control as Owe talent previously booked for American shows couldn't participate due to visa issues. However, it's been a year since the collaborations started and AEW has hardly scratched the surface.

         

High: Commitment to rankings and records

AEW committed itself to sports analytics as a way to boost in-ring storylines from the very beginning and it hasn't wavered on that. 

"Introducing statistics to wrestling for the first time ever, AEW will raise the stakes for its matches and deepen fan engagement by tracking each competitor's wins and losses as the wrestlers pursue championships," president Tony Khan said in a press release ahead of last year's Double or Nothing.

Breaking News - @AEWrestling to air on @TNTDrama #AEW pic.twitter.com/movdS7UKgk

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 15, 2019

The company has done just that and kept updated win-loss records for every wrestler. In addition, the top five men's and women's competitors, as well as the top five tag teams, are ranked each week to give fans a more concise title picture.

Taking into consideration win-loss records and strength of schedule also makes for the most transparent booking you'll find at a wrestling promotion.

It's been a breath of fresh air in an industry where fans are often left in the dark.

             

What else would you have included in AEW's highs and lows of the past year? Let us know in the comments.

All Elite Wrestling's biggest show of the year takes place this Saturday, with Double or Nothing featuring all four major titles on the line in Jacksonville, Florida. 

The main event of the show will feature Jon Moxley making his first pay-per-view defense of the AEW world championship against Brodie Lee, while Cody Rhodes and Lance Archer will lock horns for the inaugural TNT title. 

Those two bouts will have ramifications for the short- and long-term direction of AEW booking. Everything the company has been building toward since Revolution in February will come to a head this weekend. 

Before the second annual Double or Nothing show takes place, let's look at the stars who need to come out of the PPV with victories. 

          

2020 AEW Double or Nothing Card

AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Brodie Lee

TNT Championship: Cody vs. Lance Archer

AEW Women's Championship: Nyla Rose (c) vs. Hikaru Shida

Casino Ladder match for AEW World Championship match: Darby Allin vs. Colt Cabana vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Rey Fénix vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Kip Sabian vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Luchasaurus vs. TBD

Stadium Stampede match: Matt Hardy and The Elite vs. The Inner Circle

MJF vs. Jungle Boy

Dr. Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander

No. 1 Contender Tag Team Championship match (pre-show): Private Party vs. Best Friends

           

Stars Who Must Win

Jon Moxley

There seems to be little doubt Moxley will retain the AEW world title on Saturday. This is his first major defense of the belt on PPV after ending Chris Jericho's unbeaten streak at Revolution. 

Since Cody is unable to challenge for the title based on the stipulation from his match with Jericho at Full Gear last November, Moxley is the top babyface in a way that The American Nightmare can't be until AEW tries to get around that booking decision.

Moxley has been fantastic in his role, particularly as the counterpart to Jericho as the top heel. There is an argument to be made that Lee, who is undefeated in AEW (5-0) and making his PPV debut with the promotion, should get the victory. 

But Moxley is still in the early stages of his title run and doesn't need to drop the crown right now. Lee has been properly built up with wins over fan favorites such as Christopher Daniels and Marko Stunt on Dynamite. 

Ultimately, though, Lee is being set up as the monster heel for the hero to take down. Moxley will get the rub and continue his reign into the summer.  

           

Cody 

AEW is in an interesting spot with Cody heading into Double or Nothing. He's currently ranked as the No. 1 contender in the men's division with a 9-1 record this year, but the aforementioned title stipulation makes it impossible for him to challenge for the crown. 

Despite that overall record, he has come up short in his last two pay-per-view matches dating back to Full Gear. The November event was used to set up MJF's heel turn, which in turn led to a head-to-head match at Revolution. 

MJF defeated Cody at the February event, albeit by using the Dynamite Diamond Ring behind the referee's back. 

Given Cody's positioning as the top babyface and his recent PPV shortcomings, Double or Nothing is the perfect place to get him back on track. There's also the poetic ending with him getting revenge for his brother, Dustin, who was retired by Lance Archer with a loss in the second round of the TNT championship tournament. 

This tournament also provides a workaround to the championship problem Cody backed himself into. He can win the TNT title, which will be positioned as the No. 2 men's singles crown on Dynamite. 

          

Britt Baker

If not for Jericho's presence on the roster, Britt Baker would be the best heel in AEW right now. The professional dentist has come into her own since giving up her underdog babyface gimmick. 

Her promo skills, in particular, have made her must-watch television each week on Dynamite. Her ongoing feud with Tony Schiavone and his love of coffee is as entertaining as any running joke in 2020. 

In the ring, AEW has clearly taken notice of Baker's rise. She recently challenged Hikaru Shida for the AEW women's championship on Dynamite and has won each of her last two singles matches after being pinned clean by Shida on April 8. 

There's a case to be made for the winner of Baker-Kris Statlander moving into the No. 1 contender spot for the title. They only trail Shida in the current women's division rankings, with Nyla Rose entering Double or Nothing as champion. 

Statlander is a promising talent, but her early run in AEW has shown she's not yet ready to be a top star. The Alien will get there eventually and is going to earn her spot. 

For now, though, Baker should be put in a prime position in the women's division because of her recent run as a great heel. 

All Elite Wrestling's Double or Nothing pay-per-view scheduled for Saturday at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, boasts a stacked card with no shortage of star power.

While much of the focus is on AEW world champion Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee, Cody vs. Lance Archer for the TNT Championship and the Stadium Stampede match pitting The Inner Circle against The Elite and Matt Hardy, there are other bouts on tap with plenty of potential as well.

Here are three Double or Nothing matches that may not be receiving as much attention as some of the others but could steal the show by the time the night is over.

              

Casino Ladder Match

After the Casino Battle Royales at previous pay-per-views received mixed reviews, AEW is using a different concept to crown a No. 1 contender at Double or Nothing in the form of a Casino Ladder match.

It will feature nine of AEW's best and brightest talents and boasts an intriguing set of rules as well. Rather than all nine wrestlers starting the match together, it will begin with two and one additional person will enter the bout at timed intervals.

To add even more interest to the match, it can end at any time, even before all nine participants have entered the match.

The fact that it's a new concept and has a future AEW World Championship match on the line should place at least some of the spotlight on it even if it is more of an undercard match. That should bode well for those who are part of the contest.

With the likes of Darby Allin, Rey Fenix, Colt Cabana, Kip Sabian, Scorpio Sky, Frankie Kazarian, Orange Cassidy and Luchasaurus competing, there is a great mix of accomplished veterans and young, rising stars in the bout.

There is also plenty of room to share the spotlight and an opportunity to take the next step in their careers, even for those who don't win the match.

Allin, Fenix and Luchasaurus stand out as those with perhaps the best chance to shine due to their skill sets and how well they figure to play out in a ladder match.

In terms of who will win and earn a title shot, Allin seems to be on the precipice of being a top guy, so there is little doubt he would benefit from a huge win that puts him in position to vie for the AEW World Championship against either Moxley or Lee.

             

Private Party vs. Best Friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2ozmsf-Mc

While the match is slated to take place on the pre-show, the AEW World Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders' match between Private Party and Best Friends could feature some of the best action fans see all night.

Private Party have been absent during the coronavirus pandemic, but Double or Nothing will represent their return to in-ring action. It will also give them an opportunity to regain some of the momentum they had earlier in their AEW tenure, which included a win over The Young Bucks.

While Private Party have been out of the picture, Best Friends have been on a roll with wins over Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa, Sabian and Jimmy Havoc, and Jurassic Express over the past several weeks on Dynamite.

Trent and Chuck Taylor have unquestionably earned a title shot against AEW world tag team champions Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page, but they need one more big win in order to cement it.

Private Party are one of the most exciting tag teams in all of wrestling, and the fact that they have been off television for so long could mean they want to come back with a bang and leave a lasting impression.

Similarly, Best Friends always seem to have entertaining matches, and Trent's style in particular should mesh well with Private Party.

It is easy to look past this match when examining the card, but anyone tuning in will quickly see why it was added in the first place.

             

Britt Baker vs. Kris Statlander

When it comes to the AEW women's division, all eyes will be on the match between AEW women's champion Nyla Rose and No. 1 contender Hikaru Shida on Saturday.

While that match has the potential to be great, the clash between Britt Baker and Kris Statlander is one that shouldn't be ignored.

Baker has really started to come into her own as a heel over the past few months after she wasn't necessarily received well as the face of the women's division. Instead of fighting against that, AEW turned her heel, and it is the best thing that could have happened for her.

She has cut some quality promos and provided viewers with entertaining segments outside the ring, such as the visits to her dentist office. Those pre-tapes have helped her come into her own as a villain.

Statlander's alien character seemingly hasn't connected quite as well with the fanbase, and she has had some clunky matches, including a loss to Rose at Revolution in February.

She is still new to the business, though, as she has only been wrestling since 2017. She has all the physical tools needed to be a star and put on great matches, and perhaps Baker will be able to get that out of her at Double or Nothing.

If she can, then Baker and Statlander may have a chance to outperform Rose and Shida despite less hoopla.

          

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

The first edition of Double or Nothing was almost a year ago, and we've since seen new stars and established talent showcase their talent in All Elite Wrestling. Many have left a particularly big impression on the fans, but not necessarily in a way that makes them happy.

In fact, chances are you've heavily rooted against everyone on this list of the top five heels in AEW over the past year. We took into consideration fan reaction, entertainment value, general heel work and success at AEW so far to determine our five.

Here are the wrestlers who did the best job of being the absolute worst. Disagree? Let us know who you would've included in the comments.

   

5. Dr. Britt Baker

Best heel moments: Insulting the Texas crowd, roasting Tony Schiavone, "How to Be a Role Model" promos

It took Britt Baker all of 2019 to find her footing at AEW, but she finally did so when the new year came around.

Originally pushed as a face, there was little reason for fans to get behind her other than the fact she's a real-life dentist. Baker, needing to jumpstart her gimmick, took her dentistry role and started bragging about it ad nauseam to anyone who would listen. She also insulted crowds, fellow talent and even Tony Schiavone.

Her character took another step recently by cutting condescending promos on "How to Be a Role Model." It will be interesting to see where Baker takes this. It's been fun heel work to watch come together for someone who seems to be enjoying it.

     

4. Sammy Guevara

Best heel moments: Helping the Inner Circle in various feuds, crushing Darby Allin's throat with a skateboard, 630 flip at Revolution

Chris Jericho's Inner Circle has been a great breeding ground for some of AEW's heels, and no one has benefitted more from learning under his wing than Sammy Guevara.

Guevara had little character development before Inner Circle's formation. Fans quickly noticed the athleticism he possessed, but it wasn't until Dynamite began that we saw him go from a good wrestler with heel-ish tendencies to one of the best things about the Inner Circle.

The Spanish God manages to walk the line between being entertaining and annoying. He was also on the forefront of helping Jericho stage attacks against The Elite and Jon Moxley while carrying out a quality feud of his own against Darby Allin.

The next step for Guevara in Year Two is showcasing even more of his personality. His wrestling is already good. Now he just needs the presence to back it up.

https://twitter.com/AEWrestling/status/1233929113259401217

3. PAC

Best heel moments: All three matches against Kenny Omega, match against Orange Cassidy

Speaking of presence, there's something about PAC that just captures a fan's interest.

Those familiar with his work before AEW knew what he was capable of once he joined the promotion. He's delivered so far. His clash against Kenny Omega at All Out was one of the best technical matches of 2019. Their feud reached its peak last February when the two competed in a 30-minute Iron Man match after PAC attacked Michael Nakazawa, Omega's close friend. The Bastard lost in sudden-death overtime, but that match is considered one of the best to take place on Dynamite so far.

Other highlights from his time at AEW include coming out of a rivalry with Adam Page on top, defeating fan-favorite Orange Cassidy in his in-ring debut at Revolution and forming the Death Triangle stable with the Lucha Brothers.

PAC's stern, no-nonsense approach demands attention whenever he's in the ring. It appears that tag team action with the Death Triangle is in his near future, but don't be surprised to see him make a run at the AEW Championship by the end of the year, too.

   

2. MJF

Best heel moments: Fyter Fest promo (watch below), turning on Cody and eventual feud

Anyone who watched a moment of MJF over the past year probably felt a sense of disdain for him that only wrestling can conjure. Every time he picked up a microphone, there was an overwhelming urge to wish the worst on him. That's exactly why The Salt of the Earth is one of the best heels in the world.

Top wrestlers provoke emotional reactions from fans, good or bad. MJF does that better than almost everyone on the AEW roster through his harsh words, backstabbing and cowardice. He quickly established himself as one of the company's best talkers at Fyter Fest. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2s2lJypzR4

The 24-year-old aligned himself with Cody, referring to the American Nightmare as his mentor and helping him fend off attacks from the Inner Circle. Cody, who announced before facing Jericho for the AEW Championship at Full Gear that he would never challenge for the title again if he lost, was defeated by Le Champion after MJF threw in the towel and signaled a forfeit. Initially apologetic, MJF then turned on Cody and cited a lack of opportunities from his former ally as the reason for doing so.

This would turn into AEW's feud of the year. Layered with intricate storytelling already, MJF told Cody that the only way he would get a match against him at Revolution is if he defeated his personal bodyguard Wardlow in a steel cage match and took 10 lashes on national television. Both the cage match and lashes were tough to watch at times as Cody's body showed the effects.

Although Cody did accomplish both tasks, MJF still came out victorious in their match at Revolution. He was sensational throughout their feud and had fans hanging on every word he said and every action he took. At 24, we haven't even seen the best of what MJF has to offer yet.

   

1. Chris Jericho

Best heel moments: Becoming the inaugural AEW Champion, forming the Inner Circle, "Le Champion," "Little bit of the bubbly"

There wasn't a better person to crown the inaugural AEW world champion than Chris Jericho. The well-established heel main-evented the company's first show at Double or Nothing and won the title at All Out. Now known as Le Champion, Jericho formed the Inner Circle on the first Dynamite episode and made it clear that they were the most dominant stable at AEW early on. 

With the help of his new allies, Jericho terrorized The Elite as well as anyone who he defended his belt against. This included successful defenses against Darby Allin, Cody and Scorpio Sky. His reign as Le Champion lasted over six months until Jon Moxley dethroned him at Revolution last February.

Jericho's time as the inaugural champion was an entertaining one as he delivered inside the ring while also coining phrases like "a little bit of the bubbly" outside of it. Despite his heel work, fans also can't help but sing along to his theme whenever he makes his entrance.

There's still a level of respect from fans toward Jericho, an icon of the wrestling industry whose wisdom for the business made a lasting impact on AEW in its first year. Time will tell what the 49-year-old has to offer inside the ring for the remainder of his contract, but AEW would do well to keep him around in some role for as long as they can.

Britt Baker had tasted a few boos in her time, catcalls cascading from wrestling fans sick of her goody-two-shoes persona and All Elite Wrestling's constant references to her dual career as a wrestler and a dentist. But she had never stood in front of a crowd hoping to hear them—and that slight shift changed everything.

It started simply, with some old-fashioned cheat-to-win spirit and a brutal attack on beloved announcer Tony Schiavone and his former career as a "s--tty barista." Now, just over two months into her new role as a heel, Baker is a revelation, the perfect mix of "better than you" bravado and straight-up sadism, a monster wearing an angel's face. 

"It's really totally not where I expected I would be right now, as far as character-wise," Baker told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. "I love it. Every second of it, I'm enjoying it. It's so much fun, because the crowd interactions, especially the live crowd interactions, it's just so vocal and so energetic. Granted, they're booing me, but still, just to have that reaction, it's so much fun. It's something that you just want more and more of."

Baker had spent years developing her ring craft in smaller promotions around the country. But, like many independent wrestlers, working magic on the microphone and building a character fans either love or hate was a completely foreign challenge.  

"You can't memorize what you want to say word for word, because you can't," she said. "You won't. It's not going to happen. I just try to remember, basically, bullet points of what I want to say. Then, really, you have to feed off the crowd of when you want to say something, when you want to pause, when you want to acknowledge them. It really changes week to week to week, with the content, with the city, the crowd.

"There's always a sense of comfort knowing I have Tony Schiavone standing there with you, because if anything really goes off the rails he can save it. It's comforting, because I know he's right there with me. Tony Schiavone is such a pro and he's so amazing, his reaction, his body language, and his gestures truly make the promos, because he's so, so good. It's these little organic things, and these gestures. I nudged him one week and said, 'Stand up straight,' and he does it. He just acted on command, and it's so funny because he's such a professional.

"You learn really quickly what works and what doesn't. There's a lot of moving parts to making something successful. I think I'm a prime example of people just improving over time with more TV exposure and getting more comfortable, but that comfort also comes with help from the back."

Dr. @RealBrittBaker just going OFF on everyone right now 🤭 #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/F29KogrTgt

— AEW on TV (@AEWonTV) January 30, 2020

Baker's transformation from struggling hero to wretched scum is the product of the entire AEW brain trust, all working together to help create magic. It started with Kenny Omega, the wrestling savant charged with breathing life into the women's division, suggesting she might work better on the other side of the aisle.

Soon, AEW boss Tony Khan was taking an active role, the whole senior staff answering late-night texts and scheming with Baker about how they could make her the most hated woman in wrestling. But it was a new addition to Team Baker, Cody Rhodes, who helped take the presentation to a new level.

"They really let us have our own creative input," Baker said. "This is my character. The help that I'm asking for isn't given to me as a command. I'm asking for help because I want to be the best version of heel Britt that I possibly can be. Me texting Cody Rhodes late at night saying, 'I was thinking about this. Do you think this is good?' That's just because I want to, not because he's on top of me saying, 'You need to do this character this way,' and, 'You have to say this.' There's so much creative freedom. I think that's why it's so successful, because it's not somebody telling me what to do or how to do it.

"Cody and Tony [Khan] and myself have a really good system with putting together these promos. I've never prided myself as a skilled promo person, so for these to have such good success, it's really cool and it's really rewarding because it's scary when you're not used to going out there and having a mic and it's a major segment on Dynamite TV.

"Cody is really good at also reminding me, 'Remember. You're a role model.' It's really, really easy to fall into that heel trap of, 'You're the bad guy. You're evil. You're mean. You're just yelling at everybody,' but this character is not that. There's a totally different flavor to being a self-proclaimed role model, where, in your mind, you really think you're a babyface. He's really good at figuring out the camera angles and posture, and just everything that you don't even think of goes into a good promo or a good match."

To Rhodes, success in wrestling often comes down to finding who you really are, deep down beneath the glitz and the glamour, then turning the volume up on either your best or worst self. It was easy to look at Baker, the successful architect of two budding careers, and see her as a hero. But what if, deep down, there was a villain there waiting to escape?

"The villain that exists in Britt Baker, you can see it on her face," Cody said. "She's a lot like the girl next door, but when I say that, the actual girl next door, the one that was really mean to you growing up. 

"She went to college and she got her degrees and then she has multiple plan A's. The person underneath that success, that's what we want to tap into. She's just not somebody that the average person identifies with. And I think she might've gotten tired of playing the good person and just leaned into the person that she actually is.

"I think we all got it wrong when we thought of her as a nice person. Everyone might've been a little wrong. She's not really nice. She's very professional, is probably the best way of putting it. She's very professional. But that's not the same thing as being nice."

Baker admits that the audience has helped provide the fuel she's needed to change roles, taking one of the things she's most proud of, her dual career, and turning it into fodder for the internet meme machine. 

"Some of it is true feelings coming out," she said. "It's not cocky or arrogant, but I'm just so prideful in my accomplishments because it was so much work. I don't want to say that I got angry, but I was definitely really, really frustrated when I was a babyface. That was something that I always prided myself on. I could not wait until the time I could come out as wrestler down the ramp and call myself Dr. Britt Baker. Then when it became a laughing matter, I was like, 'This kind of sucks. This is a little heartbreaking.'

"But to be able to go full circle with that and still use that dental content but turn it into something heelish—If they were going to joke about it anyway, because, 'Oh, my gosh, it's overkill. They're shoving it down our throats that she's a dentist.' That's OK. Because I'm a heel and I'm a role model, and now I'm going to remind you every second of every day that I'm a dentist."

---

      

There are benefits to being part of the AEW roster, especially for a heel on the rise. Experts are everywhere, from Omega and Dustin Rhodes to Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, generations of experience and institutional knowledge just waiting to be tapped. In Baker's case, the literal template for her character was in the locker room right next door, willing and able to help her riff on his creation.

"I was watching old Chris Jericho WCW promos late at night," she said. "I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, this delusional, self-proclaimed role model. This could so work for my story.' I'm a dentist, I'm a wrestler. I'm this, I'm that. I texted Tony about it, which is so cool that we have such an open communication line with Tony, and he loved it. He's like, 'Oh, my gosh, this is awesome. Let's talk more.'

"Before I talked about it with him more, I wanted to talk to Chris because he would know more about what makes that work than anybody, because he did it. It was the best conversation ever with Jericho. It was before Dynamite one week, and he's just like, 'This could be really, really good for you. I think you definitely need to run with this.'

"I pretty much every show check back in with Chris and he always gives me pointers. How cool is it to have the legend, Chris Jericho, helping you with your heel turn when it's quite literally based off something that he's done before? To have him there is amazing."

Inside the ring, Dustin Rhodes and Omega have been integral in helping Baker make the mental shift from babyface to heel, the subtle changes in actually working the matches that help take her to the next level. Too often wrestlers try on new characters outside the ring while maintaining the exact same persona in it. Baker knew that wouldn't work, that for her to elevate as a performer, the change would need to be all-encompassing.

"Kenny is such a creative freak," Baker said. "The stuff with Kenny is emotion and moments. He's such a genius that, the stuff he thinks of, you're like, 'Oh, my gosh. Wow. I would've never thought of that.' Just little things that take matches to the next level.

"I'm the girl with a million questions, always. He responds almost instantly. He never gets frustrated, never annoyed. He always breaks everything down to whatever level you need it broken down to. He's running around with a million things to do. He has his own matches. He might have two or three matches that he has to agent. He's still there and available for everybody, which is really cool.

"It's kind of scary when you think about it. The people running the show are also major players of the show. We're so lucky that they're so selfless and don't just worry about their own matches, or their own segments, or their own stories. Cody or Kenny have just as much involvement in and as much of themselves invested into my heel Britt character as they do in their own feuds." 

For Omega, being part of the team with his hands on the wheel of the women's division has been a mixed blessing.

"It's the most frustrating and rewarding feeling at the same time," he said. "We have a vision for this women's division that I always wanted to have at the forefront. It's like, 'OK Kenny, you've got the reigns. Do what you can with five minutes of TV time.' Wait a minute, we've got this huge, expansive roster, you have people chomping at the bit, raring to go. How am I going to introduce all these people with five minutes? How am I going to show just what makes them special?

"Britt Baker, if you just go based on her reactions, is probably the top heel in the whole company. They are taking these little, small, minuscule opportunities that we are awarded and these women are hitting home runs. They succeeded with their one-minute, two-minute segments, so they get their five minutes and that's gonna grow to six, seven, eight and nine and they're gonna have their own show one day."

The result of all this input, and Baker's ability to process it and execute in the ring and on the stick, has been a rarity in the divided world of wrestling—almost universal acclaim. She's received praise across the board, from online critics, her fellow wrestlers and the executive team at AEW. In fact, the lone dissenting voice has been one closer to home.

"It bothered my mom at first," Baker admitted. "Because she's like, 'Britt, you really are a role model that girls really do look up to.' I just have to remind her sometimes, 'Mom, it's not real. It's a TV character.' I always remind her, 'Look at [NXT star] Adam [Cole],' my boyfriend. He's been a heel for what, 12 years? He's doing fine.

"At first, I think it was such a shock for her to hear people booing me so aggressively. You just have to remember that it's a character that you're playing. I hope there are still girls who are inspired, because they're still hearing it a hundred times, 'She's a dentist and she's a wrestler.' But maybe they don't take quite the sass and arrogance quite so far. I hope they don't take that part quite as seriously."

---

      

Thursday is the longest day of Baker's week (or was in the pre-COVID-19 world). In truth, it blends with Wednesday, the night turning into the early morning as the crew celebrates Dynamite together after the show. Then it's on to the hotel for a couple of hours, then a flight she prays will be long, because the plane is the only place she sleeps that day.

"It definitely takes a toll," she said. "As soon as I land, it's straight to the office. That's a really, really long day, because travel wears you out. The effects of no sleep, obviously, is exhausting. Then to be working all day in the dental office, it's a little mentally, physically taxing.

"Then getting home and knowing I still have to work out. I still have to unpack my bag from the week and make sure everything's ready to go for next week. It's definitely something that is exhausting, but it's all just giving yourself that moment to take a breath and collecting your thoughts, telling yourself, 'Just do one thing at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day.' As long as I keep myself sane, then all is good."

🦷 First female top selling shirt of the week

🦷 https://t.co/0XFc2ookpC pic.twitter.com/FgpozyZ7Uu

— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) April 16, 2020

As her fame grows, keeping her two worlds separate will be increasingly difficult. But, for now, Baker has drawn a hard line between real life and wrestling and hopes fans will respect it.

"The dental office I work with was, at first, like, 'We should really utilize your wrestling career for advertising and promoting.' Right away I shut that down," she said. "Absolutely not, because wrestling fans are wonderful, but they can also be very aggressive in their mission to get a message out to you, to meet you, to tell you they hate your guts, whatever it may be. 

"I love my fans, but I want to see them on AEW events, on Dynamite, on pay-per-views, at meet and greets, wherever it may be. I don't want to have the random trickling in of fans to the dental office. That would be extremely overwhelming. I think it would really make my coworkers pretty stressed out. One's a personal life, one's more so the public wrestling life. I have to keep them separate for my own sanity and for the professionalism aspect of it."

That's a bridge to cross another day. For now, Baker is successfully maintaining a weekly juggling act, part of a team that is pretty happy with the space they've carved out in the wrestling business in just a few months time.

"Everyone's so happy," Baker said. "It's evident. We're doing a great job where everyone is contributing to having this majorly successful product, but we all know there's areas here and there that we can still always improve on and get better at. 

"Everybody backstage knows that there's all stuff that can still be improved on. I think that's really cool, because you have Cody Rhodes and the Bucks and Kenny Omega saying, 'This was great, but we can do this better.' I think they're some of the best wrestlers in the world, so for them to admit some of their own flaws and their own little imperfections is really, really cool.

"It just shows how they really want this to be the best possible product out there. They're able to take a step back and look at it from the outside, then, and be like, 'We can tweak this.' I think that's ultimately why AEW Dynamite's going to be around for a long time."

      

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report. Dr. Britt Baker can be seen Wednesday nights on TNT, a television network under the same corporate umbrella as Bleacher Report.

Kenny Omega fired back at fans who criticized All Elite Wrestling's women's division during a Twitter question and answer session Thursday.

When asked about those who have expressed concerns regarding the AEW women's division, Omega didn't hold back:

Lately, most “criticisms” I read are incredibly ignorant. Depressing the amount of fans that have absolutely no class. That being said, I do try to sift through those to get to the actual constructive criticism

— Kenny Omega (@KennyOmegamanX) January 9, 2020

As one of AEW's four executive vice presidents, Omega oversees the women's division. He also said during an interview with Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio in February that he played a major role in recruiting and scouting talent for the division.

The first AEW women's champion was crowned on the Oct. 2 episode of AEW Dynamite. Riho beat Nyla Rose to win the title, and she has held it ever since.

Riho has essentially dominated the division thus far, although she wasn't on television for several weeks before returning last week to beat Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida and Rose in a Fatal 4-Way match.

On Wednesday's Dynamite, Riho successfully retained the title against Kris Statlander when Nightmare Collective members Brandi Rhodes, Awesome Kong and Mel interfered. Dr. Luther also debuted and distracted Statlander.

The booking of the match has been widely panned, and it didn't help the cause of a division that has often taken a back seat to the men's singles and tag team stables thus far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MJ9YTYQPJw

Since Dynamite's debut in October, the women's division has often been given just one segment per show, which isn't enough of a spotlight to build it into a thriving part of the product.

There have also been some head-scratching booking decisions. Aside from Wednesday's match, the call to give Emi Sakura a title shot against Riho at Full Gear seemingly out of the blue was strange, as was the decision to advertise a title match between Riho and Statlander for last week only to postpone it because Statlander had other commitments.

Talent is far from the issue with the AEW women's division, as Riho, Statlander, Baker, Shida, Rose, Kong and others can thrive if given an opportunity.

AEW's division has paled in comparison to what the women are doing on WWE's NXT, however, as Rhea Ripley recently beat Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship in a main event, and NXT also held the first-ever women's WarGames match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

Every aspect of AEW will be compared to NXT for as long as the shows go head-to-head, and while expecting the AEW women's division to match NXT's may not be fair, there is no question it can improve in several areas.

                 

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