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#5 AEW Women's Champion Britt Baker
The women's division of AEW has been heavily criticized since the inception of the company. Due to lack of availability and inconsistent booking, the ladies have not always seen the same focus as the men's and tag team divisions. However, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., has been the exception to the rule.
Her transformation as a character started just prior to the pandemic era. Baker turned heel and started an entertaining friendship with commentator Tony Schiavone.
One of the earliest standout matches during the pandemic for the women was Britt Baker vs. Hikaru Shida on AEW Dynamite. Taking place in QT Marshall's gym in Georgia, the two women had a battle that busted Baker's nose.
Her charismatic smile and bloody nose caught the attention of the fanbase and took Britt out of action for a while. But this, along with a leg injury, would be a launchpad for some of her best promo work.
She began cutting cocky diatribes with her assistant Rebel in tow. Big Swole became her first rival and really started to get both women over with the audience in AEW. Her next feud is where things were taken to the next level.
Thunder Rosa was another unsung hero for All Elite Wrestling during the pandemic, and nearly made it onto this list. Coming over from NWA as their Women's World Champion, Rosa unsuccessfully challenged for the AEW Women's World Championship against Shida at All Out before losing her own belt to Serena Deeb.
In a rematch with Deeb, Britt Baker cost Thunder Rosa the match and the title, kickstarting their rivalry. The two women would get in constant pull apart brawls, leading to AEW Dynamite: Beach Break, where Baker beat Rosa.
It was just the first battle, but their rematch would elevate both women's careers and the entire division as a whole.
On the March 17th episode of AEW Dynamite, titled the St. Patrick's Day Slam, Rosa and Baker put on the first women's main event and Unsanctioned Lights Out Match in company history. This epic encounter remains as one of the best matches of the year and one of the best women's matches of all time.
The bloody war featured violence at a level never seen by females in pro wrestling and further established Baker and Rosa as legitimate superstars in the business.
Although Baker lost, her performance propelled her up the rankings to get a shot at the AEW Women's World Championship. At Double Or Nothing 2021, Baker defeated Hikaru Shida to win the gold and take her rightful place at the top.
