AEW: Britt Baker could be a promising AEW Women’s Champion
Last weekend, Britt Baker announced she is cleared to wrestle in the Women’s Casino Battle Royale at AEW All Out, making her a top pick to win. Is she the right woman to build a division around though?
Britt Baker was the first wrestler outside of The Elite to sign with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) back in January. She was the only woman who competed in the Four Corner Survival match at All In to make the jump to the new promotion. Since then, AEW seems to be positioning her as the face of their women’s division.
Baker has made appearances at every big press event. She was also one of four competitors who participated in AEW’s first women’s match. “The Mayor of Brittsburgh” went on to win, and she’s still undefeated in singles competition—her sole loss came in the tag match at Fight for the Fallen.
It certainly seemed like the concussion she suffered at the event was the only thing that could cool her momentum. Fortunately, she got cleared in time to wrestle in the Women’s Casino Battle Royale at All Out.
Baker is a safe bet to win the battle royal and go on to become a contender for the inaugural AEW World Women’s Championship. However, it’s fair to argue AEW hasn’t done enough to make her stand out. Sure, they’ve given her plenty of visibility but she’s mostly recognizable to their audience and indie wrestling fans.
Even if she has a star-making performance at All Out, is that enough to make her marketable outside of AEW’s core audience? The 28-year-old Pittsburgh-native would have a lot to prove by October, but the title could absolutely be her claim to fame in a division full of relatively new faces.
If she isn’t a top contender, that begs the question: who is a better option? Honestly, AEW hasn’t done a great job establishing their women’s roster yet. There are some fan favorites like Kylie Rae, Bea Priestley, Riho, and Yuka Sakazaki. Former Knockouts, Allie and Awesome Kong, have the most name recognition due to their time with IMPACT.
Still, AEW is going to have an uphill battle crowning their first women’s champion.
They have a lot of work to do if they want to make their promotion a viable alternative for women’s wrestling. That’s a little troubling considering how well they’ve done establishing their world title picture and tag division. This probably wasn’t intentional, but it makes the women look like an afterthought.
With that said, because they’re essentially starting from scratch, the sky is the limit. There’s so much room to let the division’s initial flagbearer grow into the role, and build around her.
With this in mind, Britt Baker is a great choice. She’s capable of putting on good matches, and she’s likable and tough enough to be a top babyface.
Even more, there’s plenty of room to build a friendly, but competitive, rivalry around Baker and Kylie Rae. They both have more than enough talent and potential to become the future of AEW’s women’s division. Judging by their stare down at Fight for the Fallen, she and Priestley could also have an incredible title feud.
Next. A re-introduction to former WWE Women’s Champion, Jazz. dark
Britt Baker may not have star power yet, but her journey to become the head of the division could prove worthwhile. If AEW’s established audience hasn’t connected with her, it’s wouldn’t hurt to build her as a credible champion, so she can earn their adulation.