Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. on Promos with Mercedes Moné, Injuries, Criticism, and more

Fightful Select made it to their appointment on time with "The Doctor" AEW's Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., for an exclusive interview. Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp spoke with the former AEW Women's World Champion, and the two discussed multiple topics.

Sean started the interview by asking Britt how she felt about Justin Fields leading her Pittsburgh Steelers [NFL]. She says she likes Fields and is happy they are 3-1 to begin the season.

Sean mentioned how she has worked through injuries, such as a broken nose and a broken leg, in the past. He asked Britt how hard the past year had been for her since she had been away most of the year battling injuries. Britt said, "she loves pro wrestling and I didn't look at it as battling against it, but I am doing everything I can to keep doing it."

Sean mentioned that Britt had competed while injured and would still do character work. Sean asked if she was eager to work through it or if you thought you needed to take time off for the first time in your career. Britt said, "Thinking back at the first major injury with the broken leg and broken nose, that was such a growing period for me both on and off camera."

Britt told Fightful that she learned a lot about pro wrestling during that time. She said she worked on both character and promo work. Britt noted that promo work and character work are sometimes more important than the matches because if people don't care for the matches, they might not watch or care about them. Britt said, "I think the biggest fear of any wrestler is when people don't care what you're doing. They don't care when you come out, they won't boo or cheer."

Britt told Sean that it was different this time because of the injuries that piled up. She also mentioned the TIA that she had. [Writers Note: TIA definition is provided toward the bottom of the page] Britt said being a mainstay for the AEW women's division for so long, it came down to a point where she had to ride the wave. Britt stated, "It was time to go away and time to build the division around someone else and new stars, and build new stars."

The 2022 Women's Owen Hart Tournament winner stated, "You can have all the wrestling star power, but if you don't have dancing partners to dance with, then who cares?" She told Fightful you need a wrestling roster and a team to make people want to watch.

Britt would also mention that no one in pro wrestling is bigger than the company they work for right now. Britt says, "I could be the biggest star in the world, but no one is going to tune in just to watch me." She would mention how the AEW women's division has grown and has been fantastic in the last year and two years, whether she is there or not. She noted she is part of the growth and birth of AEW. Britt told Fightful," Every time there is a huge milestone for the women's division, it makes my heart happy. I'm so happy and so excited. That's my baby, the AEW women's division. I want it to grow and succeed for many years to come."

Sean asked Britt how her nerves were when she returned from her hiatus and how she felt backstage before going out. While standing in Gorilla, Britt mentioned telling Tony Khan she was about to throw up. He asked her, "Why?" and she said, "I don't think anyone will care." Britt said. Tony replied, "That's the stupidest thing you've ever said."

Sean mentioned that Britt was the first woman signed to AEW and that he felt she had a target on her back from the moment she signed, whether it was criticism or other things. Sean asked how hard it is to adjust, knowing you're more susceptible to criticism. Britt would tell Sean, "Heavy is the head that wears the crown. It's the nature of the business."

Britt would explain further by saying it doesn't matter what company, business, or promotion someone is in. Some people are going to be criticized. She said, "As much as it hurts...I think what hurts me the most is when people run with rumors or concepts or ideas that are not true."

She noted, "If I sat here all day and fought off or batted down everything I've heard about myself that wasn't true, I would spend my entire day on social media." Britt added that for most genuine wrestling fans, criticism comes from a good place. She said they might not be able to communicate it properly or respectfully. She would tell Fightful she can't wait to do a tell-all; it will be very eye-opening for many people running with a rumor or building a podcast around a one-sentence rumor they've heard about her that's not real.

Britt told Sean that pro wrestling is her priority and passion. She said she loves the AEW women's division and watches both companies religiously, which is more of her focus now. Britt noted that she cannot control the rumors, but she can work on improving the product by helping build bigger stars and growing the AEW audience, crossing over into mainstream media.

Sean would mention how the former Penn State Graduate was the Fightful Award Winner for Best on Women's promos and asked if there was a specific promo that she has had that she felt was a home run. Britt told Sean, "I really like the promo that Mercedes Moné and I had in Cardiff. The crowd was insane, nuclear. We got to kick off the show. There was a lot of truth to it." Britt also noted that Mercedes is one of her massive inspirations and why she wrestles today. Britt mentioned that it was surreal to her to get to work with Mercedes on such a big platform. Britt added that she is super grateful that Mercedes gave her that opportunity.

Britt noted, "Sometimes, we're so good at promos that we can bamboozle you all into thinking that some of the mean and nasty shit is real too. I love that just as much. I love all of my heel promos just as much, even more than the babyface ones."

In closing, Sean mentioned Fightful's "Shooting Softly" segment. In this segment, a wrestler says nice things about people instead of negative things.

The first person up is Serena Deeb; Britt said Serena is the perfect example of someone who bets on herself. She mentioned that Serena was a coach at the [NXT] Performance Center, and now she has the luxury of wrestling with Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.

The following name was Sarah Stock; Britt says she picked her brain and trained with her when she returned from all her injuries and TIA. Britt says Sarah is incredible, and she has studied a lot of her Mexico and Stardom matches.

The third name was Hikaru Shida. Britt told Sean she was the heart and soul of the pandemic era in many ways. She noted that many people don't remember that she had an iconic title reign in front of no fans. Britt also said that Hikaru is there to lift her chin whenever she feels down and out.

The last name was Kevin Owens; Britt said Kevin is a dear friend. Kevin is one of the best pro wrestlers and entertainers and is so smart. Britt also said Kevin is an awesome guy and a great person. Britt mentioned that anytime she needs advice inside or outside the ring, he is someone she is never afraid to go to and someone who is always going to be honest with her.

You can follow Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. on X or Instagram @realbrittbaker.

Definition of TIA per the Mayo Clinic: A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a short period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. It's caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn't cause long-term damage.

However, a TIA may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who has a TIA will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the TIA.

Often called a ministroke, a TIA can serve as both a warning of a future stroke and a chance to prevent it.