As Double or Nothing 2021 approaches, Britt Baker and Hikaru Shida's clash for the AEW Women's Championship gets ever closer.
Hikaru Shida is only the third-ever AEW Women's Champion. By the time Double or Nothing 2021 comes around, she will have held the title for more than a full year.
On the other side of things, the superstar that fans always thought would be the first AEW Women's Champion, Britt Baker, has not come anywhere close to a women's title run. In the last few months, Baker has improved a lot, as has the entire AEW women's division.
Once the most criticized division in AEW, the Women's Division has finally reached the point where they are respected for the amount of work that they put in. At Double or Nothing, they have the choice to go in one of two directions with the AEW women's title.
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Given their choices, here are three reasons why Britt Baker should win the AEW Women's Championship at Double or Nothing, and two reasons why Hikaru Shida should retain.
#5 Why Britt Baker should win at AEW Double or Nothing: Overcame the uninspired booking
Britt Baker was the perfect representation of superstars who were suffering in AEW thanks to uninspired storylines surrounding the women's division.
None of the AEW women were able to stand out and establish a unique identity early on, with the exception of Baker. Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D made herself the perfect comedic heel in the women's division along with Rebel.
Yet, despite the comedy, she kept a layer of seriousness there too. Her arrogance, coupled with her attitude and aggression, makes her the perfect candidate to be the AEW Women's Champion.
She has also developed quite a gimmick as a heel star that the fans are now familiar with. She has a unique identity, separate from everyone else, and this will help lend value to the AEW women's division as a whole if she wins the title at Double or Nothing.
#4 Why Hikaru Shida should retain at AEW Double or Nothing: Excellent technical wrestler
At Double or Nothing, Hikaru Shida could continue to hold onto the AEW Women's Championship.
Shida is one of the best wrestlers in AEW. In the women's division, she has been able to prove her prowess time and again regardless of who she faces.
The reigning champion has been able to keep up with different wrestling styles in the ring. Be it Japanese veterans, or young wrestlers looking to make their name, Shida has wrestled every sort and made the matches look amazing.
Matches that have often lacked in storyline build, Shida has more than made up for with her work rate. Her recent program with Tay Conti was one of her best and saw her push Conti up several levels.
The young star is now recognized for the fact that she can wrestle in the ring, primarily thanks to the ability she showed to keep up with Shida. The program with the AEW Women's Champion really did elevate Tay Conti to the next level.
At Double or Nothing, Shida could defeat Baker and continue her run, especially as storylines can be made compelling for anyone with the right booking.
#3 Why Britt Baker should win at AEW Double or Nothing: Most compelling character
Hikaru Shida vs Britt Baker at AEW Double or Nothing could be a critical moment for the women's division.
AEW has done a poor job of booking their women's division until recently. The company has been fighting against their own bad bookings to make their women's matches matter more.
Baker has been an exception. Not only did she make her character stand out, but her work has been excellent as well.
Even when she was out with an injury, her continuous presence at ringside helped her a lot. Her unique relationship with Tony Schiavone also added another layer to her character. As if all that wasn't enough, the past few months have added even more seriousness to Baker.
Her feud with Thunder Rosa added a lot more credibility to her character. The Unsanctioned Lights Out match the two had was easily a match of the year contender. They made history on that night.
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D has also been defeating superstar after superstar in recent weeks. AEW's resident dentist could easily appear to be the most formidable star on the AEW roster now.
A win at Double or Nothing will see the title take her character to the next level.
#2 Why Hikaru Shida should retain at AEW Double or Nothing: Could have a legendary run with the title
If Hikaru Shida retains the title at AEW Double or Nothing, it could make for some exciting storylines.
She is now only a few days short of holding the AEW Women's Championship for a year. Very few wrestlers in modern wrestling have held a title for so long, and taking it away from her would be taking away the opportunity for several storylines.
As often happens, when a champion holds a title for so long, they go through a character change. CM Punk often trod the line between heel and face when he was holding the WWE Championship. However, Hikaru Shida has so far remained a plain babyface.
If she holds onto the title at AEW Double or Nothing, then she could eventually have a compelling heel turn, where her arrogance from holding the title for so long could show.
Such a storyline would automatically attract more interest to her and the title. This way, Hikaru Shida could add value to the AEW women's division, as when the length of her title run is mentioned, fans would tune in just to see if she would finally lose it or not.
If Shida is able to defeat Baker at Double or Nothing, then it could be the making of a legendary modern wrestling title run that won't be replicated for a long time.
#1 Why Britt Baker would win at AEW Double or Nothing: Can help build many future stars
A win for Britt Baker at AEW Double or Nothing would ensure that the women's division can move on. Shida has already battled almost every single female star within the company.
The reigning champion held the title during the company's toughest run in the middle of a pandemic. However, the time may have come to give up the title to make for fresher and newer feuds. Britt Baker would lend her personality to the title, and as such could wrestle against both heels and faces.
She has already proven her ability and a win over Shida at Double or Nothing would only add to her reputation. She could immediately enter into feuds with the likes of Serena Deeb or reignite her story with Thunder Rosa.
Big Swole, Kris Statlander, Tay Conti and others, could easily have some excellent feuds with Britt Baker that could lead to more stars being put over.
Baker, as a heel, can afford to lose on regular television when the title is not on the line. As a result, her winning the title at AEW Double or Nothing might be the best decision.