All wrestlers have to start somewhere on the path to making their dreams a reality, whether it be a wrestling school, church basement, bingo hall, etc. From there, those wrestlers work their way up to the pinnacle of their dreams. For many, that’s a career in WWE or more recently AEW, IMPACT Wrestling, or even NJPW. But sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination. In LWOPW’s feature, “Before They Were Famous,” we take a look at the pre-WWE careers of some of the company’s top current stars, following along on their road to superstardom. In this edition, we take a look at Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D is currently one of the top stars of All Elite Wrestling and its Women’s division. Along with living out her dream as a Professional Wrestler, she also excels in her passion for being a Dentist. A quintessential wonder woman, to say the least, Britt is a high-level individual that should be a role model for not only wrestlers but people who want to pursue their dream. With that being said, it was not an easy road for Britt.
Before all the glitz, glamour, and dental chairs, Baker had to claw her way to achieve everything she has right now. Britt Baker is one of the brightest stars AEW has to offer and will be a cornerstone of Women’s wrestling for years to come. And her many loyal fans are eager to know how she got started in professional wrestling. So let us take a look at the humble beginnings of Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D’s Pre-AEW Career
An early love for Professional Wrestling
Britt Baker has been a self-proclaimed “wrestling” fanatic ever since watching the likes of Edge, Lita, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at a very young age. But, it was not until she got to High School and her College days that she got the wrestling bug. She made a conscious effort to pursue her wrestling endeavors as well as balancing her studies to become a Dentist.
Starting her rigorous training and Med school
Britt Baker got her start by training under the banner of the International Wrestling Cartel. She would finish her undergraduate in Pennsylvania State University and move to Pittsburgh to begin her training and Medical school. Under the tutelage of Super Hentai and Marshall Gambino, Britt got her first lesson on what it takes to be a high-level performer in the wrestling industry. Baker took her training up a notch when she would drive two hours from Pennsylvania to Cleveland, Ohio twice a week to train there as well in Absolute Intense Wrestling. Not to mention at the same time she was enrolled in Dental Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
According to Baker, she would get training for free under the condition that she attends AIW’s shows and help out. Under the AIW umbrella, she was trained by current NXT Superstars Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. Britt had wrestling legends mentor her even before her eventual rise. She would mention Rhino as was one of her mentors and advocates when she was just getting started.
Britt stated she didn’t know what “Independent Wrestling” was at first. So she had to do her research only to find out how big it was in her home state. Especially in Pittsburgh where she had just recently moved. The spark that ultimately lit a fight in her was when she witnessed Daniel Bryan win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX.
Finding a home in the Indies
Baker made her professional wrestling debut in 2015 for IWC. In her time with the company, she would win the promotion’s Women’s Championship twice. As well as being the first woman to enter IWC’s Super Indy Tournament at Super Indy 18. As she was honing her craft and touring the Indies, Britt Baker would get a WWE Tryout, along with her “Fire and Nice” tag-team partner Chelsea Green. She would also appear on an edition of Monday Night RAW as enhancement talent opposite Nia Jax in 2016.
Britt would travel the independent circuit from 2015 up to the end of 2018. Baker performed for promotions such as RISE Wrestling, SHIMMER, and Ring of Honor among others. There in ROH is where would-be AEW Executive Vice Presidents Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks along with Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes took a liking to her. They implored her not to sign anywhere else yet because AEW was in the works but they could not disclose that to her at the time.
Her mainstream big break came in the form of “All In”. A wrestling SuperCard that featured a whole host of wrestling companies the likes of NWA, ROH, IMPACT Wrestling, and others. She would work a four corner survival match against Tessa Blanchard, Madison Rayne, and her tag partner Chelsea Green. The show made headlines and sparked a new era in wrestling. In the process, it also shined the brightest light on the blooming career of Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. Shortly thereafter, in 2018 Britt was called by Brandi Rhodes in the hopes to sign her to a new major wrestling company. Which turned out to be All Elite Wrestling. She would capitalize on the opportunity of a lifetime and was the first female wrestler ever to be signed to AEW.
A promising career ahead of her
And the rest as they say is history. Britt Baker has been a consistent highlight on AEW Dynamite programming and she’s just getting started in her promising career. Baker also fulfilled her dream of becoming a dentist graduating in 2018. She’s also currently employed at a private practice in Florida while simultaneously working for AEW. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the doctor will be here to stay. Fans are extremely excited to see what’s in store for the “role model” of AEW.
Stay tuned to Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and AEW DARK Tuesday nights at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
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