Britt Baker has become one of the top stars in wrestling but she didn't forget where she came from. Baker honed her craft at various independent promotions, including Absolute Intense Wrestling in Ohio.
AIW has been the home for top talents such as Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, Eddie Kingston, Ethan Page, and more. Currently, Joshua Bishop is one of the faces of the company as a former AIW Absolute, Intense, and Tag Team Champion.
Bishop and Baker have a long friendship as Baker was part of AIW when Bishop started in 2017.
At AIW Gauntlet For The Gold 15 on May 21, Baker made a surprising return to AIW, helping Bishop, Wes Barkley, and Dominic Garrini as they were outnumbered by Chelsea Green, Matt Cardona & The Philly Marino Experience (Marino T & Philly C).
Speaking to Jeremy Lambert & Stephen Jensen on Fightful's The Spotlight, Bishop reflected on teaming with the former AEW Women's Champion.
"It was actually so funny, I found this picture from my debut match when I was looking through some of my tagged photos I had, ‘cause on Facebook it says your memories and whatever. One of them was a picture of me, Britt and Adam Cole, like them talking to me after my match and giving me some advice that someone took. It was funny that it was like five years on the date I had my debut match to when we were tagging at the Tadmor Shrine. It was just funny because even when we were in the ring we were talking about it, like, ‘Remember so many years ago when this was happening and this was happening? Wow, time flies by,’ while we’re on the apron talking about dumb things," he recalled.
"It was awesome," he said of Baker's return and teaming with her. "Britt couldn’t have been cooler. She is the man or the woman. She’s awesome. Britt’s always been cool to me. I’ve always appreciated how awesome she was to me from when I first started training to coming back and teaming with us. She didn’t have to do that. She did [her appearance] for free. She gave all of us in the match extra money out of her pay for her meet and greet and gave the rest of it back to the company. She’s awesome. She’s a great person. It was awesome that she came back because obviously people thought the fake out was going to be a six man with us versus Cardona and PME and then for that Britt pop. As I knew it was happening, I had to turn my head because I was like, ‘This is so awesome.’ [No one knew it was going to happen] the seven of us in the ring right now and the people in the back. Then when her music hit, it was electric. It was unreal and it was awesome. It was awesome to be a part of that."
Baker, Bishop, Barkley, and Garrini were victorious in the eight-person tag team bout at AIW Gauntlet For The Gold 15.
Bishop had an even more memorable night, winning the Gauntlet For The Gold and earning a shot at Matt Cardona and the AIW Absolute and Intense Championships, pending Cardona being cleared for the event following surgery on his torn bicep.
Fans can find results from AIW Gauntlet For The Gold 15 by clicking here.
