WATCH: Dr. Britt Baker Throws Out First Pitch At PNC Park Amid Homecoming
By Jason Hall
August 12, 2021
The Steel City homecoming of All Elite Wrestling Women's Champion Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. included a stop at PNC Park on Thursday (August 12).
The Punxsutawney native threw out the first pitch before the Pittsburgh Pirates' game against the St. Louis Cardinals alongside AEW commentator Tony Schiavone -- who caught the pitch -- on behalf of KultureCity, a nonprofit on sensory accessibility and inclusion for those with invisible disabilities.
Even more impressive, the wrestling dentist did so with, as she put it, "a broken freaking wrist," a possible nod to fellow Western Pennsylvania native and wrestler Kurt Angle famously nothing that his 1996 Olympic wrestling Gold Medal came amid "a broken freaking neck."
With a broken freaking wrist. https://t.co/2S3modZoWH
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) August 12, 2021
.@tonyschiavone24 and #AEW Women’s World Champion @RealBrittBaker are doing the ceremonial first pitch at today’s @Pirates game representing #AEW and @kulturec pic.twitter.com/NN3kt7gCYo
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 12, 2021
Baker is set to defend her title against Red Velvet during the debut episode of Rampage at the Petersen Events Center on Friday (August 13) night in the second of two appearances at the University of Pittsburgh venue.
On Wednesday, fans at the Petersen Events Center showered the hometown favorite -- wearing a custom jacket featuring the logos of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins -- with cheers, "D.M.D." chants and -- as requested -- waved Terrible Towels during Baker's in-ring segment with Schiavone.
BRITTSBURGH LET'S GOOOO @RealBrittBaker #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/irNNEp0qlP
— All Elite Wrestling on TNT (@AEWonTNT) August 12, 2021
"I wasn't afraid to step up when this city needed a champion," Baker said, leading to 'D.M.D.' chants and towel waving from the crowd in attendance. "And I bleed black and gold just as much as anybody in here, but we can all admit, this has been a difficult year for us. So Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I present to you, hope."
No one can wait for #AEWRampage on Friday - not @RealBrittBaker, not @Thee_Red_Velvet, not us!
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 12, 2021
Tune in NOW to #AEWDynamite LIVE on @tntdrama! pic.twitter.com/09YMP2sBIm
"And speaking of hope, Red, you might have had a glimmer of it if you were wrestling me in any other city, but not Pittsburgh. Not here, not Brittsburgh," Baker added, addressing her opponent before Red Velvet attacked her after the promo and the two were separated by security.
Baker recently returned to Western Pennsylvania during an appearance at Steel City Con in June.
The appearance came weeks after the real life dentist/professional wrestler defeated Hikaru Shida via submission to win the AEW Women's World Championship during the promotion's Double or Nothing pay-per-view on May 30, her first championship in a major wrestling promotion.
After the match, Baker, an avid Pittsburgh sports fan, said she was proud to take on the role of the "face of Pittsburgh" amid a "brutal" year.
PITTSBURGH: See you this weekend at Steel City Con 😎#HereWeGo #Brittsburgh pic.twitter.com/U956qKmScs
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) June 9, 2021
"Somebody's gotta be the hero of Pittsburgh so I'm happy to do it," Baker said during a post-Double or Nothing media scrum. "We're repping the 4-1-2."
Earlier this year, Baker gained praise throughout the wrestling community for her groundbreaking 'Lights Out' hardcore match against Thunder Rosa, which was the first women's wrestling match to main event a televised AEW show since the company launched in 2019.
Baker was defeated by Rosa, but was trending on social media throughout the night after fans and wrestlers alike praised her performance, which included having her head busted open and taking rough bumps throughout the match, which included, in some instances, landing on thumb tacks.
The bad news is... you forgot to kill me. Face of the women’s division. #AEWDynamite pic.twitter.com/5EYffwo4Iw
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) March 18, 2021
Baker, who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine in 2014, has stayed true to her Western Pennsylvania roots throughout her professional wrestling career.
During AEW's first live show in Pittsburgh, billed as "Brittsburgh," Baker was accompanied to the ring by Steelers mascot Steely McBeam and led the crowd at Petersen Events Center in waving Terrible Towels during her entrance.
#herewego @steelers pic.twitter.com/uReNgHMUBE
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) January 10, 2021
#HereWeGo!!! @steelers pic.twitter.com/1CP7aX40GG
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) September 14, 2020
Baker also appeared in the Pittsburgh episode of the late Anthony Bourdain's 'Parts Unknown' alongside her boyfriend, Adam Cole, who wrestles for WWE's NXT brand.
A cool clip from @Bourdain’s #PartsUnknown. #DrBaker #Brittsburgh pic.twitter.com/3Qffs5NYiT
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) February 26, 2018