Highlights

• In 2023, Britt Baker took a backseat to other AEW talent, wrestling fewer matches and being less prominently featured.
• Baker has been dealing with back injuries and has been vocal about wrestling while hurt, which has contributed to her decreased role.
• Baker expressed frustration with AEW for not giving her any live promo time in 2023, highlighting the company's need to improve opportunities for women.

When discussing AEW’s biggest homegrown stars, the conversation cannot be had without mentioning the company’s resident dentist, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. The former AEW Women’s World Champion has been a pillar of AEW and was the first woman signed to the company when it began in 2019. Since then, she has gone on to be involved in some of the biggest moments in company history. However, 2023 was a slower year for Baker than she had in the past. A variety of factors have kept Baker off of AEW television as fans patiently await when they will get to see her on their screens next.

Britt Baker Has Taken A Backseat To Other AEW Talent

Britt Baker Wrestled Less Than Two Dozen Matches In 2023

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• Britt Baker wrestled 22 matches in 2023.
• Britt Baker wrestled at All In 2023 at Wembley Stadium.
• Britt Baker has not been featured in AEW like she used to be.

In 2023, Baker wrestled 22 matches. This includes singles, tag team, and multi-person matches. Her major feud of the year involved herself and Jamie Hayter battling The Outcasts. However, Baker noticeably took a backseat in 2023 to many of the other major women’s storylines. This was the opposite in the past, when Baker was one of the mainstays and most prominently featured stars on weekly AEW television. In an interview with Ring The Belle, she explained why she did not have as big of a role in AEW as she did in 2020-2022.

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“Yeah. I think with our very passionate fans, they're very vocal with what they want, what they don't want, what they like, what they don't like. We listen. I listen. If they are telling me they want or less of something, okay, I hear you loud and clear. A lot of them said, 'We want less Britt Baker.' So, if that's what they want, that's what they'll get. Let me take a step back, here are the rest of the women. Someone else take the ball and run with it and make the women's division about you and you be the face of the women's division. When no one else can do that, I'll be there to pick up the pieces and do it all over again.” (h/t Fightful)

Britt Baker Has Been Dealing With Back Injuries

Britt Baker Has Been Vocal About Wrestling While Hurt

• Britt Baker was wrestling with back injuries.
• Dave Meltzer has confirmed that this has been a reason for Britt Baker's absence.
• Britt Baker's last match was against Kris Statlander.

In addition to her not being as involved in major storylines, Baker has also been vocal about dealing with pestering back injuries for months prior and working while having to deal with these injuries. This was something Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer directly addressed back in December. This led to her also taking a decreased role in AEW. Meltzer said:

“Baker has been bothered by a bad back as well, which she’s been dealing with for a long time, which is why she put some people over and hasn’t been around much of late.” (h/t TJR Wrestling)

Britt Baker Expresses Frustration With AEW

Britt Baker Had No Live Promo Time In 2023

As of writing, there has been no set timetable as to when fans can expect to see her back in an AEW ring. However, while she has not been on television, she has been vocal about the lack of promo time that she received during 2023. She directly addressed this on her X account and called out the company for it. It's a valid criticism, as AEW has received numerous comments about the lack of time that women have been given on television, whether that be with in-ring action or promo time. It is something that the company must do better with.

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Baker has been a major asset to AEW and will continue to be going forward. With classic matches against the likes of Thunder Rosa and Kris Statlander, she has shown a lot of growth over the years. While she was not as prominently featured in 2023, she was still involved in some major moments. She challenged for the AEW Women’s World Title at All In 2023 against Toni Storm, Hikaru Shida, and Saraya. Her last match before her hiatus was a TBS Championship match against Statlander at Penn State. With new stars growing such as Julia Hart and Skye Blue, as well as new additions to the roster like Deonna Purrazzo, Baker has no shortage of competition once she returns to the company.

Ultimately, Baker has done a great job of helping to build up AEW and has become one of the major faces of the promotion. The former one-time AEW Women’s World Champion has been one of the best on the roster for years. She has done a lot of work to become the certified main event talent that she had been throughout AEW’s history. Despite 2023 not being her year, there is no doubt that, when she returns, there will be a lot of anticipation to see what she does next in AEW.