AEW's Women In Wrestling
Since launching in 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has defied expectations with its meteoric rise, record-high ratings, world-class roster and highly entertaining product. AEW is also breaking barriers with its robust women’s division, empowering their dynamic roster to new heights. Our panel – featuring Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., Jade Cargill, Renée Paquette and Aubrey Edwards – encompasses various roles in professional wrestling, including two championship wrestlers, an on-air personality and a referee. In addition to their trailblazing work in the ring, these incredible women bring experiences and perspectives from across fields such as dentistry, child psychology, writing and coding. This engaging session will explore the unique roads these women have taken to get to the top of professional wrestling, how they balance their other careers and endeavors, and how they’re striving to empower other women today.
Hosted by Gavin Bridge, Senior Media Analyst, Variety Intelligence Platform.
Aubrey Edwards
Before breaking into the professional wrestling industry, Aubrey Edwards (real name Brittany Aubert) was a classically trained ballerina and spent 10 years making video games. A gamer at heart, she studied computer science at DigiPen Institute of Technology and quickly rose through the ranks at several top development studios.
In 2017, she decided to shake things up and moved into her favorite sport: professional wrestling. From the indie circuit to global acclaim on AEW’s weekly shows, she quickly earned a reputation as a badass ref – and became the first woman to referee a main event world championship match on pay-per-view.
She’s also changing the game outside the ring. Leveraging her background in computer science, she’s part of the team leading the development of AEW’s video game venture.
Dr. Britt Baker DMD
Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. is the only fully licensed and practicing dentist in the professional wrestling industry. She made her in-ring debut in 2015 while enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Dental Medicine – and then went on to become the first woman signed to AEW when the company debuted in 2019. A staple of the women’s division, Britt is a former AEW Women’s World Champion, a title she held for 290 days. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Woman of the Year and Match of the Year in addition to acclaim for the Best Promo.
As the archetype for modern entrepreneurialism, Britt also regularly permeates pop culture with appearances on national TV, major sporting events, Hollywood premieres, global media and more. Britt is also a mega fan of Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams.
Jade Cargill
Incredibly, Jade Cargill launched her professional wrestling career at the age of 28, after giving birth to daughter Bailey three years earlier. She was a fitness freak and certified trainer, but never engaged in anything resembling wrestling. In the past, her athletic success was defined by her time as a D-1 basketball player at Jacksonville University. The fact that she was already a nutritionist and certified child psychologist before storming onto the AEW scene only adds to the rich fabric of her story. Jade is also the owner of a Professional Women’s Softball Team, the Texas Smoke, out of Austin, Texas.
In true Jade fashion, she orchestrated her arrival to AEW in a big way, debuting by tag teaming with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and scoring a pinfall victory in her first match on November 11, 2020. Two-and-a-half years later, Jade’s record stands at 60-1, and she holds the longest championship reign in AEW history, standing tall as AEW TBS Champion for 508 days. Jade also became the first-ever Black woman to grace the cover of a professional wrestling video game, “AEW: Fight Forever,” which launched on June 29, 2023.
Renée Paquette
Known as a trailblazer in sports and entertainment, Toronto native Renée Paquette has been an accomplished on-air personality for over a decade. She currently serves as a producer and on-air personality for AEW where she interviews the brightest stars in professional wrestling on national television every week.
Previously, Paquette was the first full-time female on-air personality for WWE’s flagship show “Monday Night RAW.” In addition to her robust background in professional wrestling, Paquette has also worked with the NFL hosting “Renée All Dey,” where fans got the chance to know their favorite Cincinnati Bengals players. She also co-hosted the popular show “Jack and Paq” on the NHL Network. At home, Renée is passionate about cooking and recently released her first cookbook, “Messy In The Kitchen,” which became an Amazon bestseller.