AEW’s Adam Cole and Dr. Britt Baker pull back the curtain with ‘All Access’

In the old days of professional wrestling, breaking character was considered a cardinal sin. (or kayfabe). With social media, keeping the illusion of separation going is almost impossible. These performers are real people, after all. Previous series like Total Divas, Miz and Mrs, and Rhodes To the Top have served to normalize somewhat the people we see pull off uncanny feats.

A new series, AEW: All Access, looks to go behind the scenes to highlight some of the company's stars – two weeks before the Revolution pay-per-view is set to take place in November of 2022. Within that show, there are stars and real-life couple Adam Cole (name Austin Jenkins) and Dr. Britt Baker. In that snapshot in time, there’s a cloud of uncertainty. Cole is sidelined from action after sustaining two concussions. There was a question of if he would ever wrestle again.

Keep in mind Cole is only 33 years of age and has been wrestling for 16 years. Since joining AEW, tone goal has been on his mind – to become the top guy in the company. However, there was a scary moment when it looked like that dream would be cut short. Baker has juggled her dentistry career with the pressure of being the first signee of the AEW women's division – a division still growing and supplanting itself within the world of pro wrestling.

Together, they serve as a support system through this scary time – a base that has helped them get through so much in the past. Not only is tonight a premiere of the six-episode reality show, but Cole returns to the ring after a nine-month layoff against Daniel Garcia on Dynamite.

Before all this, the duo talked about this period in their lives, why they wanted to do All Access, possible Forbidden Door opponents, and more.

Injuries are, unfortunately, a part of wrestling. In the first episode of AEW: All Access, [Britt] is dealing with a back injury, and [Adam] is battling back from two concussions where it seemed like his career was in jeopardy. Aside from what we see, how did you both act as support systems for each other through this time?

Britt Baker: Adam has been helping me my whole career. He’s the vet and one of the best wrestlers in the world. I’m newer to it than Adam is. I felt this was the first time I could give back everything he gave me. This is as far as giving me advice and helping me focus in and out of the ring – ring psychology, being a heel, and a babyface. This is the first time I feel like I can help him by simply being there for him – acting as a strong support system, encouraging, and letting him know that everything will be okay no matter what happens.

Adam Cole: There is a quote from Britt that she said the other day that I liked. She talks about us being like a real tag team in a certain way. If she needs me for something, I’m there for her. When I need her for something, she’s been there for me. I was going through those nine months where I wondered if I would wrestle again. I can’t imagine getting through many of the things we’ve gone through without the support I’ve gotten from her and what we’ve given each other.

I imagine that process is easier because you are both within the same company.

Britt Baker: Yes, especially this situation and his injury and recovery. I could be more helpful. With proximity, I can help communicate with the doctor, they can share with Tony, and I could communicate with Adam. I can be the messenger and support system. If he were somewhere else, it would be a little more complicated.

Adam Cole: Aside from the challenges, there are positives – from being on the same flights, in the same hotel rooms, and spending time together. Even though we’re both swamped on show day, we can see each other throughout the day. Being in the same company is just a positive across the board.

Adam, tonight is a big night for you. Dynamite will mark your first return match in nine months against Daniel Garcia. Given everything you’ve been through, are there a different set of emotions going into tonight?

Adam Cole: It’s a familiar feeling but also very different. I’ve been wrestling for 16 years and have never been away from the ring for nine months. This is the most extended period I’ve been gone. The excitement and the nerves are high – given the severity of the injury and wondering if I was ever going to be able to get back into the ring again.

The excitement and confidence going into tonight are at an all-time high. I’m going to enjoy it. It’s a major milestone where I feel I am being given a second chance. I wasn’t sure if I could wrestle again.

When you came into AEW, you had one mission: becoming the AEW world champion. Given what you’ve been through, do you feel more drive and urgency to reach that pinnacle?

Adam Cole: The motivation was there even before I got injured. Going off what you’re saying, I feel there’s a little more urgency. I did a lot of reflecting on my career when I was out, and I’m very proud and grateful for many of the things I’ve accomplished.

Being able to say I’m the AEW world champion would be vital to me. After I get through tonight, I want to make sure that I feel okay. I’m feeling great. I’m feeling confident. No matter what I’m doing, it’s in the back of my mind; I’m constantly thinking about wanting to be champion.

Britt, you were the first women’s signee of AEW. You’ve been there from the start to see the women’s division grow to what it is now. You have athletes like Jamie Hayter, Sayara, Ruby Soho, Jade Cargill, etc. You say in the first episode of Access that you want to keep elevating stars in this division. Do you feel some protectiveness over it?

Britt Baker: The women you mentioned, like Sayara, Toni Storm, Ruby – they are all fantastic wrestlers. They are the best of the best out there, and I love sharing a ring with all of them. But like we need to build an army. I’ve said, “when you’re at war, you can’t win alone. You need a whole army behind you.”

I want us to get to where we have the strongest women’s division. I want us to have just a whole flock of females that are huge stars that everyone recognizes when outside of pro wrestling. Girls that we can share the spotlight with and leave no doubt that we are the superior women’s division.

Jamie Hayter is my girl. She has the championship title. I am not interested in stripping that off her because this is her time. I want to face everybody because I think our women’s division is on the way to being one of the best in the world. Bring them on. Bring them all on.

Part of the first All Access episode is where the collective brings up the women’s interim championship status. You and Thunder Rosa have a shared history with the cage and lights-out matches. Some strong feelings came out. I wonder if there would ever be room for you two to work together again.

Britt Baker: I mean, you can’t rewrite history. We do have a strong history together and some very memorable matches. We are both in the AEW women’s division history books, and I am grateful for that. Moving forward, I don’t know. It’s going to be a “to-be-continued” type of situation.

The second installment of Forbidden Door is coming up soon, and I know you’ve slightly alluded to a certain boss. I know the prospect of Mercedes Mone gets brought up a lot with this pay-per-view and potential AEW matchups. Would you like to face Mercedes there?

Britt Baker: For sure. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single female in all wrestling who wouldn’t want to wrestle Mercedes. She helped lay the foundation for women’s wrestling today.

When I first started training in a professional wrestling ring, I was literally stalking her matches. I was such a fan of hers, and she’s just been such a pioneer for the style of women’s wrestling that we love and strive for. Of course, I would love to. But again, I think there’s probably a slew of women wrestlers that would have the same answer. She’s going to be a high in demand opponent.

Adam, same question for you. Is there somebody in New Japan you want to mix it up with at Forbidden Door?

Adam Cole: The possibilities are endless regarding the talent at New Japan. To this day, I’ve never had a one-on-one singles match with [Kazuchika] Okada. I would love to have a one-on-one match with him – especially to get an event like Forbidden Door. It plays into the fact my last match was at the previous Forbidden Door that Okada was involved in. A singles match with him would be pretty freakin’ awesome.

All Access show comes when the industry is not so stringent in keeping the separation between person and character. That’s changed with social media and overall fan know-how. What would you want fans to gain from watching you both on this show?

Britt Baker: I just wanted to humanize us because people get caught up in the “good guy, bad guy stuff.” That can be great because that’s the magic of professional wrestling. It gets very toxic quickly when you take it to social media and Twitter. People may think they know everything because they read one sentence in an article, and everything gets misconstrued.

I hope that we can tell our story from us and that you can get to know us as people. It’s stuff that we are saying and doing. It’s not someone else having a voice for us behind the keyboard.

Adam Cole: Yeah, pro wrestling is so fascinating. All Access access will show how much madness and chaos ensues. The human beings behind it are really important. Wrestling fans who are already passionate about pro wrestling will get a deeper dive and look into some of the AEW talents. I think it will be fascinating to watch for people who aren’t wrestling fans. You’ll get a raw, unfiltered look at a lot of us.