Role Model (Britt Baker RP)
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 2:56 pm
OOC: Warning - there is a long exposition at the beginning of this promo. I thought it would be useful to recap Britt's EBWF "journey" to date, especially since I had to remind myself how I got here lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this RP, because I certainly had fun writing it. As always, any comments or feedback is appreciated. Good luck AJ!
2021 was supposed to be a better year than 2020, wasn’t it? And yet, in many ways, it’s felt the same. With all the uncertainty, and a constant feeling of “ah shit, here we go again”, it’s hard not to look back at how things used to be. With 2021 drawing to a close, Britt Baker found herself looking back over the last couple of years and thinking about what had changed. It had certainly been a journey for her.
In March 2020, Britt Baker had left All Elite Wrestling and signed a contract with EBWF. She had been given a huge debut match against Becky Lynch, at Wrestlemania no less. Being given such a big opportunity meant a lot to Britt, and reassured her that she had made the right decision by taking a chance on herself, and walking away from AEW for an opportunity in EBWF. However, after losing to Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania, Britt didn’t appear on EBWF TV again until June, when she lost to Lacey Evans in the first round of the Queen of the Ring tournament. Another month passed, and in July 2020, Baker had her third televised EBWF match – where she lost to Becky Lynch, again. Four months after signing her contract, Britt Baker had gone from making history as the first female wrestler to sign for AEW to being an enhancement talent in EBWF. Clearly, it wasn’t working out, and when Baker requested her release, it was granted amicably.
For the next six months, Britt focused on taking independent bookings across the United States. She wanted to prove to everyone, including herself, that she was more than just an enhancement talent. That she had the potential to be a “superstar”. In January 2021, Baker was invited back to EBWF for one night only – to appear in the Women’s Royal Rumble. She accepted, but once again it didn’t work out the way she had hoped it would. Baker lasted less than 90 seconds, entering the match at number 11 and being eliminated before the arrival of entrant number 12. Once again, Britt was left feeling like an enhancement talent. In that moment, she felt like she had two choices – she could either be one of the top women on the independent scene, or a jobber in the so called “big leagues”. Neither option appealed to her, and Britt came close to retiring from professional wrestling. It was only after a conversation with Candice LeRae – the woman who had trained her – that Britt decided she wasn’t going to give up. Almost a year after that phone call with Candice, Britt could still remember what Candice had told her. Those words had changed the course of her career.
Candice LeRae: Britt, you know as well as I do how much harder it is for women to make it in professional wrestling than it is for men. The men get given so many more chances. It’s been over 20 years since Chyna broke down doors for us, yet it still feels like we have to keep breaking those doors down. It doesn’t matter whether you go to AEW, EBWF or WWE, the women’s division will always be seen as secondary to the men’s. But that just means you have to work twice as hard to stand out. I’ve been able to do that in NXT. And I can guarantee you that if you called some of the women under contract in EBWF – Trish, Natalya, Becky, Raquel – they’d tell you how hard they’ve had to work to be taken seriously. In a weird way, you can use the fact that you’re not being taken seriously to your advantage. You have good relationships with AEW and EBWF; they’ve both let you work for them without a contract. Keep working with them both, play the field, and make sure that whatever they ask you to do, you do it to the best of your ability. Trust me, sooner or later they’re going to notice how good you are. But if you give up now, they’ll never get that chance, and you’ll regret it.
Baker had done exactly what Candice told her to do – used her situation to her advantage. She agreed a deal with AEW that allowed her to work for other promotions, including EBWF. A turning point for Baker came in March 2021, when she appeared in the main event on AEW Dynamite. Although Baker lost to Thunder Rosa in a “Lights Out” match, everyone was talking about her afterwards. The image of Baker’s face covered in blood at the end of the match went viral, and suddenly everywhere she went, people were invested in “The Doctor”. When Baker accompanied Leva Bates to the ring for her match against Becky Lynch on the August 16th edition of Warfare, the crowd weren’t chanting for Leva or Becky… they were chanting “DMD”. For the first time, EBWF seemed to realise they had a potential star on their hands. Baker was offered an exclusive contract with EBWF, then booked to open the show at Summerslam, where she defeated Eva Marie. She followed that up with impressive wins over Shayna Baszler and Tay Conti, before crossing paths with Alexa Bliss… the woman who had eliminated her within 90 seconds at the Royal Rumble. On the special edition of Warfare that followed Fanniversary, Warfare Games, Alexa was booked in a gauntlet match alongside Britt Baker, Tay Conti, Trish Stratus and Natalya. Alexa defeated Baker in the first stage of the gauntlet, and afterwards challenged Britt Baker to a match at Christmas Eve of Destruction. Baker accepted on one condition – she wanted it to be a last woman standing match. As she’d shown in her Lights Out match, Britt Baker was willing to give her blood, sweat and tears to prove herself… but the question was, in the biggest match of her EBWF career thus far, could she come out on top?
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Friday, December 24th: Kansas City, Missouri
It was Christmas Eve, and in just a few hours’ time Britt Baker would be competing on EBWF’s last show of the year, Christmas Eve of Destruction, their hardcore pay-per-view. As Baker approached the T-Mobile Center (formerly known as the Sprint Center) where the show was taking place, she couldn’t help but smile. On the side of the arena there was a giant billboard advertising Christmas Eve of Destruction, and Britt Baker’s face was on it. There were a number of other faces on the poster, including The Miz, Chris Jericho, Rated RKO, Raquel Diaz and Baker’s opponent, Alexa Bliss. One face that was missing though was Leva Bates, despite the fact she was challenging Raquel Diaz for the Women’s Championship at the pay-per-view. Britt wasn’t sure what to make of that omission, but the fact that she was featured delighted her. It was a sign of the progress she had made in recent months. Of course, as Baker had learned from previous experience, such progress could easily be undone… so she was determined to make sure that, whether she won or lost, she made a statement.
After she had entered the arena, Britt headed to the women’s locker room, where she got changed into her ring gear. It was early, but Baker had scheduled some time to record a promo for her match, and she wanted to look the part. After putting on her ring gear, Baker pulled a t-shirt out of her bag and put that on as well. The shirt was one that wrestling fans who had followed Britt Baker’s time in AEW would be familiar with… it featured Britt’s face, covered in blood, and the words “MAIN EVENT ROLEMODEL” above it. After looking at herself in the mirror, Baker grinned, then headed to the promo area. Cathy Kelley was standing by, and as the cameras started rolling, she began to speak.
Cathy Kelley: Good evening, EBWF Universe! My guest at the time is Britt Baker, who—
Before Cathy could say anything else, Britt cut her off.
Britt Baker: Excuse me, Cathy… what the hell are you doing?
Cathy looked confused.
Cathy Kelley: I’m interviewing you like you asked me to?
Britt gave Cathy a patronising smile, and then shook her head.
Britt Baker: Oh sweetie… no no no. First of all, I didn’t ask you anything. I asked for some time to talk about my match, and they sent you along. All I need is a microphone and a camera. Besides, it’s probably best you get out of here in case things get physical… you wouldn’t want another fright now, like you got when I confronted Alexa Bliss, would you? The last time I heard a scream like that was watching a horror movie. Go on, run along now.
As Cathy sheepishly exited the interview zone, Britt turned to face the camera and pointed to her shirt.
Britt Baker: Alexa, this iconic image right here should tell you everything you need to know about my mindset going into our match. You can talk about your "dark side" all you want, but there is only one side to Britt Baker. And that is a woman who will fight blood, tooth and nail to win. You might have been the one to eliminate me in the Royal Rumble, you might have beaten me in that gauntlet match a few weeks ago... but tonight, last woman standing, is an entirely different ballgame. Because anything goes, and the sight of blood doesn't scare me, whether it's my own blood or my opponents. So you can bring whatever you want to the ring tonight – a razor wire board, a baseball bat, a shopping cart full of weapons. Have the Dudley Boyz bring set a table up for you at ringside, have Kane engulf the ring with flames, have Christian help you hit a con-chair-to. I don’t care... although if I were you, I'd ask Maven to go doctor shopping for you, because I promise you will need a lot of painkillers when I'm done with you. You said it yourself, one of us is going to be leaving the arena in an ambulance tonight, and it sure as hell isn't going to be me.
Britt wagged her finger as if to say "no way", then continued speaking.
Britt Baker: You talk about that physical and emotional pain you have, Lexi, and how you're going to use it against me. I asked you to bring out the vicious side you showed against Tam Nakano, and you claim that Tam was "never the same" after what you did to her... but what you forgot to mention is, despite everything you did to Tam Nakano, the one thing you didn't do was beat her. Your "dark side" wasn't enough to get you the title winning victory you crave... and despite changing your ways and being in a "better place", the end result is still the same. When it comes to the big matches, you choke. Every. Single. Time. You spent months talking shit about Trish Stratus, but when you stepped into the ring with her, you lost. You then set your sights on the Women's Championship, and when my good friend Leva Bates reminded you that you hadn't earned the chance to challenge for the title, you challenged her instead. And guess what? You lost. Again. Sure, you can blame me for that defeat, because of an inconveniently placed book... but the truth is, you should be thanking me, because I gave you an out. Leva had you beat, but thanks to me, you can claim you were "screwed". You and Becky Lynch should form a club... you could call it the "I can't admit when I've lost club" or maybe the "I choke when it comes to the big one" club. Oh god, I hope Miz doesn't hear this promo, I don't want to become a meme...
Britt rolled her eyes, smirked, then continued.
Britt Baker: After tonight, Alexa, there will be no more excuses. If you manage to prove me wrong, if you're able to beat me so badly that I can't get back up and you're the last woman standing, then I will shake your hand and admit that you were tougher than I thought. Hell, I'll even vouch for you to challenge Leva Bates or Raquel Diaz for the Women's Championship. But I just... don't see that happening. And that's not because I'm arrogant or naïve enough to think no one can beat me; I know that's not true, believe me. There have been times over the last couple of years where I've doubted myself and wondered if I truly had what it takes to be an EBWF superstar. No, the reason I don't see you winning tonight is simple – because whatever doubts I've had about myself, both now and in the past, I know I'm better than you. Uh oh, that's dangerously close to gimmick infringement isn't it. Sorry Max! Don't worry, I promise I don’t own any Burberry scarves.
Britt winked into the camera. It was obvious that she was having fun, but there was also a steely determination in her eyes. Baker looked down at her shirt again and pointed to the wording above the image of her bloody face.
Britt Baker: There's something else I want you to take notice of on this shirt, Alexa. And that's the words "role model". The fans of EBWF, they need someone to look up to. And I'm not even just talking about the women; the men, the non-binary fans, all the people that come to our shows or watch us on TV – they need a role model. And that is a position I gladly accept. Not because I'm the best, but because I never give up. Oh crap, I think I can get away with that one though... as long as I don't release any merch in neon colours.
Baker laughed to herself, then looked around for someone to laugh with her... before remembering she was on her own. She shrugged, then looked back towards the camera.
Britt Baker: Tonight, there will be blood. There will be sweat. There will be tears. But the last woman standing will be yours truly, Doctor Britt Baker, D.M.D. And that's not a prediction... it's a spoiler! Don't worry, I had permission to use that last one. Thanks Paul!
Britt grinned, clearly full of confidence, then signalled for the cameraman to stop filming her. As the camera switched off, Britt breathed a sigh of relief. She was looking forward to tonight, and win or lose, she knew she'd made the right decision by not giving up on herself. She finally felt at home in EBWF, and she would make sure she left her mark on the women's division. As Britt walked back to the locker room, she thought to herself: "2022 is going to be my year".
2021 was supposed to be a better year than 2020, wasn’t it? And yet, in many ways, it’s felt the same. With all the uncertainty, and a constant feeling of “ah shit, here we go again”, it’s hard not to look back at how things used to be. With 2021 drawing to a close, Britt Baker found herself looking back over the last couple of years and thinking about what had changed. It had certainly been a journey for her.
In March 2020, Britt Baker had left All Elite Wrestling and signed a contract with EBWF. She had been given a huge debut match against Becky Lynch, at Wrestlemania no less. Being given such a big opportunity meant a lot to Britt, and reassured her that she had made the right decision by taking a chance on herself, and walking away from AEW for an opportunity in EBWF. However, after losing to Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania, Britt didn’t appear on EBWF TV again until June, when she lost to Lacey Evans in the first round of the Queen of the Ring tournament. Another month passed, and in July 2020, Baker had her third televised EBWF match – where she lost to Becky Lynch, again. Four months after signing her contract, Britt Baker had gone from making history as the first female wrestler to sign for AEW to being an enhancement talent in EBWF. Clearly, it wasn’t working out, and when Baker requested her release, it was granted amicably.
For the next six months, Britt focused on taking independent bookings across the United States. She wanted to prove to everyone, including herself, that she was more than just an enhancement talent. That she had the potential to be a “superstar”. In January 2021, Baker was invited back to EBWF for one night only – to appear in the Women’s Royal Rumble. She accepted, but once again it didn’t work out the way she had hoped it would. Baker lasted less than 90 seconds, entering the match at number 11 and being eliminated before the arrival of entrant number 12. Once again, Britt was left feeling like an enhancement talent. In that moment, she felt like she had two choices – she could either be one of the top women on the independent scene, or a jobber in the so called “big leagues”. Neither option appealed to her, and Britt came close to retiring from professional wrestling. It was only after a conversation with Candice LeRae – the woman who had trained her – that Britt decided she wasn’t going to give up. Almost a year after that phone call with Candice, Britt could still remember what Candice had told her. Those words had changed the course of her career.
Candice LeRae: Britt, you know as well as I do how much harder it is for women to make it in professional wrestling than it is for men. The men get given so many more chances. It’s been over 20 years since Chyna broke down doors for us, yet it still feels like we have to keep breaking those doors down. It doesn’t matter whether you go to AEW, EBWF or WWE, the women’s division will always be seen as secondary to the men’s. But that just means you have to work twice as hard to stand out. I’ve been able to do that in NXT. And I can guarantee you that if you called some of the women under contract in EBWF – Trish, Natalya, Becky, Raquel – they’d tell you how hard they’ve had to work to be taken seriously. In a weird way, you can use the fact that you’re not being taken seriously to your advantage. You have good relationships with AEW and EBWF; they’ve both let you work for them without a contract. Keep working with them both, play the field, and make sure that whatever they ask you to do, you do it to the best of your ability. Trust me, sooner or later they’re going to notice how good you are. But if you give up now, they’ll never get that chance, and you’ll regret it.
Baker had done exactly what Candice told her to do – used her situation to her advantage. She agreed a deal with AEW that allowed her to work for other promotions, including EBWF. A turning point for Baker came in March 2021, when she appeared in the main event on AEW Dynamite. Although Baker lost to Thunder Rosa in a “Lights Out” match, everyone was talking about her afterwards. The image of Baker’s face covered in blood at the end of the match went viral, and suddenly everywhere she went, people were invested in “The Doctor”. When Baker accompanied Leva Bates to the ring for her match against Becky Lynch on the August 16th edition of Warfare, the crowd weren’t chanting for Leva or Becky… they were chanting “DMD”. For the first time, EBWF seemed to realise they had a potential star on their hands. Baker was offered an exclusive contract with EBWF, then booked to open the show at Summerslam, where she defeated Eva Marie. She followed that up with impressive wins over Shayna Baszler and Tay Conti, before crossing paths with Alexa Bliss… the woman who had eliminated her within 90 seconds at the Royal Rumble. On the special edition of Warfare that followed Fanniversary, Warfare Games, Alexa was booked in a gauntlet match alongside Britt Baker, Tay Conti, Trish Stratus and Natalya. Alexa defeated Baker in the first stage of the gauntlet, and afterwards challenged Britt Baker to a match at Christmas Eve of Destruction. Baker accepted on one condition – she wanted it to be a last woman standing match. As she’d shown in her Lights Out match, Britt Baker was willing to give her blood, sweat and tears to prove herself… but the question was, in the biggest match of her EBWF career thus far, could she come out on top?
--------------------------------------------------
Friday, December 24th: Kansas City, Missouri
It was Christmas Eve, and in just a few hours’ time Britt Baker would be competing on EBWF’s last show of the year, Christmas Eve of Destruction, their hardcore pay-per-view. As Baker approached the T-Mobile Center (formerly known as the Sprint Center) where the show was taking place, she couldn’t help but smile. On the side of the arena there was a giant billboard advertising Christmas Eve of Destruction, and Britt Baker’s face was on it. There were a number of other faces on the poster, including The Miz, Chris Jericho, Rated RKO, Raquel Diaz and Baker’s opponent, Alexa Bliss. One face that was missing though was Leva Bates, despite the fact she was challenging Raquel Diaz for the Women’s Championship at the pay-per-view. Britt wasn’t sure what to make of that omission, but the fact that she was featured delighted her. It was a sign of the progress she had made in recent months. Of course, as Baker had learned from previous experience, such progress could easily be undone… so she was determined to make sure that, whether she won or lost, she made a statement.
After she had entered the arena, Britt headed to the women’s locker room, where she got changed into her ring gear. It was early, but Baker had scheduled some time to record a promo for her match, and she wanted to look the part. After putting on her ring gear, Baker pulled a t-shirt out of her bag and put that on as well. The shirt was one that wrestling fans who had followed Britt Baker’s time in AEW would be familiar with… it featured Britt’s face, covered in blood, and the words “MAIN EVENT ROLEMODEL” above it. After looking at herself in the mirror, Baker grinned, then headed to the promo area. Cathy Kelley was standing by, and as the cameras started rolling, she began to speak.
Cathy Kelley: Good evening, EBWF Universe! My guest at the time is Britt Baker, who—
Before Cathy could say anything else, Britt cut her off.
Britt Baker: Excuse me, Cathy… what the hell are you doing?
Cathy looked confused.
Cathy Kelley: I’m interviewing you like you asked me to?
Britt gave Cathy a patronising smile, and then shook her head.
Britt Baker: Oh sweetie… no no no. First of all, I didn’t ask you anything. I asked for some time to talk about my match, and they sent you along. All I need is a microphone and a camera. Besides, it’s probably best you get out of here in case things get physical… you wouldn’t want another fright now, like you got when I confronted Alexa Bliss, would you? The last time I heard a scream like that was watching a horror movie. Go on, run along now.
As Cathy sheepishly exited the interview zone, Britt turned to face the camera and pointed to her shirt.
Britt Baker: Alexa, this iconic image right here should tell you everything you need to know about my mindset going into our match. You can talk about your "dark side" all you want, but there is only one side to Britt Baker. And that is a woman who will fight blood, tooth and nail to win. You might have been the one to eliminate me in the Royal Rumble, you might have beaten me in that gauntlet match a few weeks ago... but tonight, last woman standing, is an entirely different ballgame. Because anything goes, and the sight of blood doesn't scare me, whether it's my own blood or my opponents. So you can bring whatever you want to the ring tonight – a razor wire board, a baseball bat, a shopping cart full of weapons. Have the Dudley Boyz bring set a table up for you at ringside, have Kane engulf the ring with flames, have Christian help you hit a con-chair-to. I don’t care... although if I were you, I'd ask Maven to go doctor shopping for you, because I promise you will need a lot of painkillers when I'm done with you. You said it yourself, one of us is going to be leaving the arena in an ambulance tonight, and it sure as hell isn't going to be me.
Britt wagged her finger as if to say "no way", then continued speaking.
Britt Baker: You talk about that physical and emotional pain you have, Lexi, and how you're going to use it against me. I asked you to bring out the vicious side you showed against Tam Nakano, and you claim that Tam was "never the same" after what you did to her... but what you forgot to mention is, despite everything you did to Tam Nakano, the one thing you didn't do was beat her. Your "dark side" wasn't enough to get you the title winning victory you crave... and despite changing your ways and being in a "better place", the end result is still the same. When it comes to the big matches, you choke. Every. Single. Time. You spent months talking shit about Trish Stratus, but when you stepped into the ring with her, you lost. You then set your sights on the Women's Championship, and when my good friend Leva Bates reminded you that you hadn't earned the chance to challenge for the title, you challenged her instead. And guess what? You lost. Again. Sure, you can blame me for that defeat, because of an inconveniently placed book... but the truth is, you should be thanking me, because I gave you an out. Leva had you beat, but thanks to me, you can claim you were "screwed". You and Becky Lynch should form a club... you could call it the "I can't admit when I've lost club" or maybe the "I choke when it comes to the big one" club. Oh god, I hope Miz doesn't hear this promo, I don't want to become a meme...
Britt rolled her eyes, smirked, then continued.
Britt Baker: After tonight, Alexa, there will be no more excuses. If you manage to prove me wrong, if you're able to beat me so badly that I can't get back up and you're the last woman standing, then I will shake your hand and admit that you were tougher than I thought. Hell, I'll even vouch for you to challenge Leva Bates or Raquel Diaz for the Women's Championship. But I just... don't see that happening. And that's not because I'm arrogant or naïve enough to think no one can beat me; I know that's not true, believe me. There have been times over the last couple of years where I've doubted myself and wondered if I truly had what it takes to be an EBWF superstar. No, the reason I don't see you winning tonight is simple – because whatever doubts I've had about myself, both now and in the past, I know I'm better than you. Uh oh, that's dangerously close to gimmick infringement isn't it. Sorry Max! Don't worry, I promise I don’t own any Burberry scarves.
Britt winked into the camera. It was obvious that she was having fun, but there was also a steely determination in her eyes. Baker looked down at her shirt again and pointed to the wording above the image of her bloody face.
Britt Baker: There's something else I want you to take notice of on this shirt, Alexa. And that's the words "role model". The fans of EBWF, they need someone to look up to. And I'm not even just talking about the women; the men, the non-binary fans, all the people that come to our shows or watch us on TV – they need a role model. And that is a position I gladly accept. Not because I'm the best, but because I never give up. Oh crap, I think I can get away with that one though... as long as I don't release any merch in neon colours.
Baker laughed to herself, then looked around for someone to laugh with her... before remembering she was on her own. She shrugged, then looked back towards the camera.
Britt Baker: Tonight, there will be blood. There will be sweat. There will be tears. But the last woman standing will be yours truly, Doctor Britt Baker, D.M.D. And that's not a prediction... it's a spoiler! Don't worry, I had permission to use that last one. Thanks Paul!
Britt grinned, clearly full of confidence, then signalled for the cameraman to stop filming her. As the camera switched off, Britt breathed a sigh of relief. She was looking forward to tonight, and win or lose, she knew she'd made the right decision by not giving up on herself. She finally felt at home in EBWF, and she would make sure she left her mark on the women's division. As Britt walked back to the locker room, she thought to herself: "2022 is going to be my year".