The wrestling rumor mill went into overdrive today when former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman dropped what seemed like a bombshell about Britt Baker’s future. But sometimes in the wrestling business, the most explosive stories turn out to be nothing more than wishful thinking wrapped in confident delivery.
Coach’s Confident Claim Sparks Wrestling Twitter Frenzy
During his “Behind the Turnbuckle” show, Coachman initially played coy about a “top female talent” potentially heading to WWE. When his co-host threw out Baker’s name as a guess, Coach didn’t hesitate to take credit for the scoop.
“Ding ding ding ding. Gone from AEW—close. My sources keep coming to your boy!”
The former WWE personality doubled down on his claims, painting a picture of Baker being ready to make the jump while suggesting backstage politics led to her AEW decline. According to Coachman, the former AEW Women’s Champion had been “buried” for speaking out about internal issues.
“She is ready—she’s so ready. She’s got the built-in storyline, and she got buried because she pushed back. She spoke up about what was going on, and in wrestling, you know you can’t do that.”
Reality Check: Fightful Shoots Down the Speculation
Wrestling fans didn’t have to wait long for the truth to surface. Fightful Select quickly stepped in with facts that completely contradicted Coachman’s confident assertions.
The wrestling news outlet confirmed that Baker remains firmly locked into her AEW deal. Her five-year contract, signed in late 2021, keeps her with Tony Khan’s promotion for well over another year—and that’s before factoring in any potential injury time that could extend the agreement.
“To be clear, Britt Baker is under contract to AEW, has not left AEW, and signed a five-year contract in late 2021 that would keep her under contract for well over another year, not including possible injury time added.”
WWE Sources Pour More Cold Water on the Story
Adding another layer of contradiction to Coachman’s claims, WWE sources told Fightful that recent discussions with Baker simply haven’t happened. While they acknowledged the “D.M.D.” would always be welcome backstage, actual negotiations aren’t on the table.
“They have not discussed her coming to WWE in recent years.”
The Contract Reality Wrestling Fans Often Forget
This situation highlights something casual wrestling fans sometimes overlook—contracts actually matter in today’s wrestling landscape. Unlike the territory days when wrestlers could jump between promotions at will, modern wrestling operates under strict legal agreements.
For Baker to make any move to WWE, she’d need to formally request her release from AEW. Given Tony Khan’s track record of holding onto top talent, that’s far from a guaranteed outcome.
The bigger picture shows both promotions currently lack concrete creative plans for Baker, making the entire speculation even more premature.
Why Wrestling Rumors Spread Like Wildfire
Today’s false alarm perfectly demonstrates how quickly wrestling news can spiral out of control. Coachman’s confident delivery, combined with Baker’s reduced AEW presence, created the perfect storm for speculation to masquerade as fact.
The incident serves as a reminder that in the wrestling world, contracts, sources, and actual reporting still matter more than confident predictions. While Baker’s future remains unwritten, her immediate present appears firmly planted in All Elite Wrestling—regardless of what any podcast host might claim about their “sources.”
Will Britt Baker eventually find her way back into AEW’s spotlight, or could this contract situation evolve into something more interesting down the road?
