Britt Baker Was Inspired By Underdog WWE Success Story

From humble beginnings at the International Wrestling Cartel in Pittsburgh, Britt Baker has gone on to achieve massive success in All Elite Wrestling. Notably, she defeated Hikaru Shida to win the AEW Women's World Championship in May 2021 and went on to hold the title for nearly 10 months. But before she was the "DMD," Baker was a passionate wrestling fan, captivated by a particular rising star in WWE.

Around the time of WrestleMania 30, Baker primarily invested in the storyline of Daniel Bryan. "That was my favorite underdog success story," she told the "Swerve City Podcast."

In April 2014, Bryan overcame nearly insurmountable odds to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at that WrestleMania. Bryan first defeated Triple H in a lengthy bout to advance to the main event, where he beat defending champion Randy Orton and Batista in a triple threat match. With the Yes Lock submission applied on Batista, Bryan secured arguably the biggest victory of his career when "The Animal" tapped out. The crowd at the Superdome in New Orleans erupted in celebration.

"I was so inspired by that," Baker said. "I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I loved his story."

Baker noted that the moment hooked "a lot of my non-wrestling friends into wrestling." Her friends initially viewed professional wrestling through the lens of reality show "Total Divas." After seeing Bryan's story, "they'd actually watch the wrestling show and be like, 'Oh, wow, wait, this wrestling is pretty cool. This is amazing,'" Baker said.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the "Swerve City Podcast," with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.