AEW's Britt Baker Surprised By Black-Eye Shirt Response: 'I Think It's Empowering'

Britt Baker said when she posted a photo on social media recently of a black eye she received on "Dynamite," the post overwhelming received admiration from her fans. But when the AEW star shared the same image being used on a t-shirt, she was shocked to see one fan accuse her and the promotion of endorsing domestic violence.

"I was very surprised," Baker told Sports Illustrated, responding to the social media controversy.

"When it went on a shirt, it was really problematic, and that was so confusing to me," she said. "Because why? If I'm on a shirt with a black eye, why does that make me weak? Why does that make me a victim? But if a man, or Chris Jericho, had a black eye, they'd be tough and they'd be a badass."

Baker received the black eye during a spot on "Dynamite" recently, when The Outcasts' Saraya, Toni Storm, and Ruby Soho attacked her in the middle of the ring while her boyfriend Adam Cole was handcuffed to the ropes by Jericho. Nothing seemed distasteful about the spot or the photo of the black eye until one fan complained online after it was put on a t-shirt, according to Baker.

"To me, it's showing the internal narrative that people are saying about women—and that's that we're not as strong or as tough as the men, and that's the real problem here," Baker told SI. "It's not a black eye on a T-shirt. Sometimes I do get hurt. I've broken my leg, my wrist, my nose—and guess what? Now I have a black eye and I signed up for that. I've actually been telling the makeup artist, 'Don't cover up my black eye.' Because I think it's empowering, because I'm tough. You should see the other girl."