6 Ups & 4 Downs From AEW Dynamite (Feb 24)

2. Native Beast Batters Baker

Is there a more improved wrestler anywhere in the world than Britt Baker over the past 12 months?

Last night was testament to her growth as a performer. The good doctor looked tremendous in a match with Nyla Rose, who is a fun, explosive performer herself, but still prone to the odd stodgy moment, particularly against less experienced opposition. There was none of that here. Baker and Rose worked a match built perfectly around their strengths, with Nyla going for brutish power and Britt keeping it crafty, constantly opening windows to her Lockjaw finisher.

An early-match temper tantrum from Britt looked to unsettle Rose, who had her shoulder attacked throughout. This weakened her offense, strategically, and prevented her from capitalising on a Beast Bomb pinfall, which Baker ended up kicking out of. Fighting off multiple Lockjaw attempts and Rebel's constant threat on the apron, it took her two Beast Bombs to eventually put Baker down for the surprising win.

With its call-backs (Nyla attempting to break Baker's leg as she had inadvertently done last year), splashes of character, great layout, and melding of styles, this was another strong match in a tournament that has done nothing but deliver since the first moment. Rose rules, Baker rules, and in 2021, the AEW women's division is starting to rule as well.