3 biggest mistakes Tony Khan made with Britt Baker in AEW

Britt Baker has played an undeniably crucial role in legitimizing AEW's women's division through her work in the promotion since its foundational years. However, The Doctor's tenure in All Elite Wrestling has unfortunately emerged as a controversial subject of late, as conflicting reports have emerged regarding her status in the company.

The rumors in question initially suggested that Baker could be finished with AEW owing to a variety of reasons, some allegedly pertaining to her backstage conduct. However, on the other hand, subsequent updates indicated that the early reports may have been "blown way out of proportion". In the meantime, fans continue to discuss the former Women's World Champion's prospective professional future.

Despite being one of the company's most celebrated names, Baker is currently one of its most controversial ones, with viewpoints regarding her All Elite run flooding online discourses.

On that note, let us consider three of the biggest mistakes Tony Khan arguably made with The DMD on his creative product:

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#1: Tony Khan mis-booked Britt Baker's character in AEW

A number of iconic wrestlers over the years managed to forge an enduring connection with their audiences through playing the role of a heel. The most prominent examples are legends like Steve Austin and The Rock, with stars like MJF and Swerve Strickland serving as more recent examples.

Britt Baker built a similar connection with the All Elite fanbase through her performance as a villainous figure, and not many people from AEW's women's roster have managed to pull off the same feat (except perhaps Toni Storm). However, things took a turn after Baker turned face in 2023 during the war between The Outcasts and the "homegrown" female talent of All Elite Wrestling.

Although she appeared prominently on television and even pursued the Women's World Title on occasions, The DMD's booking and characterization left much to be desired. Fans did not receive the company's presentation of Baker in a heroic role well, and nowhere was it more clearly expressed than the criticism aimed at her feud with The Outcasts crossing over with Adam Cole's rivalry with Chris Jericho.

It was apparent that the audience enjoyed watching Baker as a heel, judging by her popularity among the crowds and the support she received in her matches even as a villain. Although she is undoubtedly capable of thriving in the part of a babyface, the Jacksonville-based promotion did not quite figure out how to accomplish that transition satisfactorily.

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#2: Tony Khan did not adequately address Britt Baker's backstage issues in AEW

A few days ago, Wade Keller from PWTorch reported that Britt Baker "might be done with AEW", claiming an abundance of backstage frustration surrounding the Pennsylvania native in the company. The report further asserted that Baker was "wildly unpopular in the women's locker room", which has led many to invoke her past issues with Thunder Rosa.

It was also claimed that Britt's hiatus from television lately also owed itself, to some degree, to her conflict with MJF and Alicia Atout, for which she was suspended last year. The report added that Baker had cultivated a reputation for being tough to work with, supposedly exhibiting "fiercely territorial" behavior vis-a-vis her position in the promotion.

All Elite Wrestling and Tony Khan continuously face criticism for underutilizing and underexposing their women's division, despite the potential of the roster. The company is also seemingly dealing with unrest and frustrations harbored by key talents. The All Elite CEO may have therefore erred in not addressing Baker's problems and conflicts in the locker room properly and decisively, seeing how the latter is one of the most important names of her division.

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#3: Tony Khan booked Britt Baker in a major AEW title match before she was ready

The AEW fanbase is generally believed to place a lot of value on the quality of in-ring work demonstrated by its wrestlers. Considering how loaded both the men's and women's rosters are, viewers often lash out against the company whenever it showcases matches that do not meet their standards, especially those involving top stars. Something akin to this happened with Britt Baker, who was savaged on social media for her performance against Mercedes Mone at All In 2024.

There was a lot of excitement over The DMD and The CEO facing off after Baker returned from injury at Forbidden Door last year to confront Mone. The two women feuded briefly, with Baker pursuing the erstwhile Sasha Banks and her TBS Championship, which she challenged for at Wembley Stadium last year. Unfortunately, the match was slammed by numerous viewers, with Britt's work in particular receiving a lot of criticism.

It cannot be denied that Britt Baker is a sound and well-rounded wrestler. However, it should be remembered that the 33-year-old had returned from multiple injuries, and after having suffered and recovered from a mini-stroke. Between her comeback and All In, she had competed in only two matches, which may not have been enough to prepare her adequately for the promotion's most significant annual show.

Baker vs Mone was obviously a blockbuster and much-anticipated bout. However, the 2022 Owen Hart Cup winner may not have been in ideal ring shape for the match. The effect this had, unfortunately, affected Baker's stock for the worse, to the point where AEW has scarcely mentioned the title match on television.