9 Ups & 2 Downs From AEW Dynamite: Winter Is Coming (Dec 2)

Ups...

9. Baker Battles Through Hirsch

Britt Baker Leyla hirsch
AEW

Perhaps Leyla Hirsch vs. Britt Baker could have benefitted from being a tad shorter, but this was a fun encounter between the division's strongest personality and a believable technician with huge upside, and served as a functional bridge to Baker's more important storyline.

A pre-match promo saw Baker claim she was clearing out the division's riff-raff and giving Hirsch a one-way plane ticket back to Russia. She almost paid for this on several occasions, as Leyla continually got the better of her in grappling exchanges, bettering the good doctor with superior skill and expertise. Leyla continually used her strengths to counter and reverse into advantageous positions, even diving onto Reba when Baker used her as a meat shield, though too much damage was done to her back by the end. A twisting neckbreaker and Lockjaw ended her night.

Britt's personality is really leaping off the screen again, and her in-ring work is catching up with it as well. It's time to build the rest of the AEW women's division around her.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.