When it comes to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a lot of what they have done in their two years as a company has been fresh, smart, and welcomed by fans around the world. They have shown an ability to listen to their fans and be that alternative so many hoped they would be to other wrestling promotions. But it’s fair to assess that it hasn’t all been “shiny rainbows and unicorns,” easier said as simply not all being good. A lot of that flack from fans has been directed towards the women’s division. Over the last few months, AEW has shown that patience was necessary as their AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament was a massive hit and their builds of certain stars have truly been fantastic. And on Wednesday night, we learned that the patience by all would deliver once again by AEW: Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker.
The match between Shida and Baker is going to be massive and it’s a credit to AEW for how they got to this point. A point that the “Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker” match has become one of AEW’s biggest in history. Here’s a look at the patience AEW showed and why it’s the ultimate payoff for the fans.
Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker: A Match Over One Year in the Making
April 8, 2020. Inside the Nightmare Factory, we got our second singles encounter between Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker. This was notable because Baker was still fresh into her new mindset that she didn’t have to pander to the fans any longer but instead focus on herself in her goal to become the AEW Women’s World Champion. She would collide with Shida, a woman beginning to catch serious steam and winning at an impressive rate. Shida was on her way to championship gold as well, so this match really set the stage for who could become the next No. 1 contender.
This match became infamous due to the breaking of Baker’s nose, leaving her with a crimson mask that would become a key part of the future of Baker’s career. Shida would be the one to capture the win, and as we know now, she went on to capture the AEW Women’s World Championship. As she nears making history as the first year-long champion in AEW history, Baker comes back around as a whole different competitor and ready to take the gold. This match is one year in the making for a reason, which carries a lot of why it has become one of the biggest possible matches in AEW. Their roads back to each other have been of great interest as they have earned their roles in this prospective match.
Hikaru Shida — AEW’s Greatest Champion
It has been a tough road for Hikaru Shida as the AEW Women’s World Champion. Not because of anything other than not being able to defend her title a single time in front of a live crowd. Her run is nearing one year and very well should get there just in time for Double or Nothing. Shida has put the women’s division on her back and now it has reached the point where it can shine and allow her to thrive that much more as a champion. Her road to Double or Nothing 2021 started last year, at the same event.
At Double or Nothing, Shida finally earned her singles match to fight for the AEW Women’s World Championship, facing off with the champion Nyla Rose. Shida managed to overcome “The Native Beast,” winning the title at the first PPV of the pandemic era for AEW. Shida’s goals had been reached and the smile on her face showed how excited she was to take on the mantle as the champion for AEW. And since winning the title, she has given her efforts to help the division grow in the ring and outside of it.
When it comes down to inside the ring, Shida defeated eight different challengers including the former NWA World Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa, the woman she defeated for the title Nyla Rose, Eliminator Tournament winner Ryo Mizunami, and most recently Tay Conti. And behind the scenes, she helped build the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament. She flew over to Japan to be the representative of AEW and it went without a hitch, really sparking the moment that AEW’s women’s division was coming together.
The champion has done the work for the division and defeated the best to offer. Except for one: Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D — Earning Her Spot as One of AEW’s Top Stars
One year ago, no one would have thought Britt Baker where she is today. Not being the first-ever AEW Women’s World Champion certainly shocked many as she was the clear face of the women’s division from day one, but the dentist never seemed to have like they had hoped. So right before the pandemic hit, Baker changed her attitude. It was no longer being happy to be there but caring about herself and nobody else (besides Rebel (not Reba) and Tony Schiavone on occasion). Baker became one with her character, embracing her looks, her position in the company, and the fact that she is a doctor and no one else is. That means she has the smarts, too.
Baker was injured for the better part of 2020, but in that time she worked on her character that much more and became a must-see attraction on Dynamite each and every week. The promos that were being cut by Baker gave an understanding of her goals, utilizing comedy and a specific seriousness to know that the doctor was no longer playing around. Once Baker was cleared to compete, however, she took it upon herself to show that the improvement wasn’t only in her character but her in-ring as well. This led to where we are with Baker today — one of AEW’s best all-around performers.
Her feud with Thunder Rosa brought out the best of Baker, as the best matches of her career came from that. While Baker won the first one, it was far from over. And when Baker had entered the Eliminator Tournament, many figured it was her time to rise to glory but she came up short. That is when her feud with Rosa went one step further and eventually would become the first women’s main event in AEW history.
The Unsanctioned Lights Out match between Baker and Rosa did wonders for both talents as it was the best women’s match in AEW’s history to this point. The crimson mask of Baker, a lot like one year prior, was the highlight of the night as Baker showed she can do it all. The feud ended with a Rosa win, but Baker becoming that much bigger of a star nearly overnight.
Since then, Baker has placed a major focus on the rankings and stated that she was nearing the top. This past Wednesday night with a loss for Tay Conti, it was her time to take the top spot and inevitably earn a title showdown against Shida. And this building of Baker, much like Shida as a champion, proves again that AEW’s patience was key.
Patience Pays Off Once Again For AEW
“Patience is a virtue,” wrote poet William Langland in the 1300s. And it remains one of the truest statements in the history of the world. To take one step further, it has become a real trait of AEW. Their booking with Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker has become another result of that. It was shown with how they told the story of Kenny Omega to the point where he eventually became AEW World Champion. It has been shown with the women’s division. Patience is a massive trait for AEW and really is why they continue to succeed and will moving forward.
Shida vs Baker is destined for Double or Nothing. These two are very different from the last time they met and will show that not only was the patience worth it for AEW and them but that these two are the right choices to be at the top of the women’s division moving forward no matter who walks out of the match as champion.
More from LWOS Pro Wrestling
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