Britt Baker wants to inspire the next generation.
Speaking with Ian Douglass for The Ringer, Britt Baker spoke about how the presentation of female wrestlers has changed over the years. Baker feels like she’s in the position she is due to women like Trish and Lita being presented as stars. She noted that others, like Saraya, Sasha Banks, Bayiley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, made her feel empowered and saw wrestling as a viable path.
Baker then spoke about her own presentation, noting that she still sees herself as a nerd, and wants to reach girls like her and pull them in as wrestling fans.
“It’s my opinion that sexuality can be pushed too far on live TV,” said Baker. “You have to respect the limits of what the show’s rating is. If it’s TV-14, we can’t be running around naked in the ring. You have to respect the wants and desires of the network you work for. With that being said, that’s not everybody’s cup of tea. Some people like when women are extremely sexualized, and that’s awesome and great for them, but I cater more to what I relate to. I’m not as comfortable going out there and being this extremely sexy supermodel. I don’t perceive myself as that. I feel like I’m just the nerdy doc who went to dental school. I want girls like me to relate to me. A little girl who’s a nerd and on academic teams and the track team. That’s who I hope I can reach out to and inspire.”
Baker believes women’s wrestling shouldn’t just have one type, but each competitor should have confidence in themselves.
“As a woman wrestler, ultimately you need to be confident in yourself,” said Baker. “If you’re not confident in yourself when you come out of the curtain, then no one else is going to believe in you, and no one else is going to get behind you one way or another. So you need to make yourself happy. You need to be the best version of the appearance that you think you need to have. When I come through the curtain, I look very different from what Abadon looks like coming out of the curtain. That’s two totally different worlds of professional wrestling, but it still works for our audience because of what they want to see.”
“Adam Cole can throw his hair in a messy bun and he’s the most handsome man on the planet, but if I throw mine in a bun, people are going to think that I’m sick or something, or that something is wrong with me that day,” joked Baker. “So I envy men in the amount of time it takes them to get ready versus the females. Even going down for a wrestling match, guys put on their gear, put on their boots, spray some body oil on themselves and make their hair soaking wet. Girls have to sit in the makeup chair for an hour and a half, make sure we have our spray tan right, and make sure we have our gear taped on right so there’s no wardrobe malfunctions. It’s a lot! I do think that’s one area where men have it easier.”
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