WWE boasts a stacked roster of some of the most talented wrestlers in the world who compete each week on TV and at live events. Since 2017, Shayna Baszler has been with WWE and has dominated in NXT and the main roster, and fans can expect to see much more from the Queen of Spades.

Baszler, a former NXT Women’s Champion and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, has re-signed with WWE, Fightful Select reports. Baszler’s previous contract was set to expire this year, but a new deal was recently finalized which is said to be a multi-year deal.

Bazler is currently appearing on WWE Monday Night Raw and recently aligned with Sonya Deville and Zoey Stark as part of the Pure Fusion Collective. Baszler was in action during this week’s episode of WWE Raw where she defeated Zelina Vega.

One longtime WWE staffer told Fightful that Baszler approaches her work with the company without any ego, and is always easy to work with. One WWE higher-up added that Baszler has long been helpful in many ways with newer talent as well.

WWE’s 2024 Re-Signings

Baszler is just the latest big name that WWE has locked down with a new contract in 2024. Drew McIntyre signed a new contract with WWE in late April, and was gifted a sword by TKO board member Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. The following month, Seth Rollins inked a new deal with WWE. More recently, Randy Orton signed what’s reported to be a five-year deal with WWE, ensuring the Viper’s involvement with the promotion until at least 2029.

Baszler is set to return to GCW’s Bloodsport on July 28.

The wrestling world is stunned after Josh Barnett announced that WWE superstar Shayna Baszler will return to Game Changer Wrestling. On April 4, the ‘Queen of Spades’ competed at GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X against Masha Slamovich. After a successful partnership, WWE has allowed Baszler to compete again for GCW for Bloodsport XI. 

Barnett broke the news on his X account. The event will occur at the Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, New York, on July 28. He also hyped up her return by adding that she is a natural to the bloodsport concept, as she trained under him during her MMA career. 

The Bloodsport XI match card is still being developed. So far, the company has revealed that current TNA Wrestling superstar Mike Santana will take on wrestling legend Homicide. GCW has also announced that ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey, Slamovich, Akira, and Matt Makowski are set to compete on the show. The addition of Baszler has increased interest in the event, with fans wondering who she will face.

Possible Opponent For Shayna Baszler

Baszler returning for Bloodsport XI has made the possibility of seeing her get a rematch against Slamovich realistic. In their first encounter, both gritty superstars put on a brutal technical match that was well-received by fans. Baszler won after the referee decided that the TNA superstar couldn’t continue due to repeated head strikes. GCW could have them face off again in a rematch to see who is better on July 28. 

Another possibility is her ‘Four-Horsewomen of MMA’ ally and friend, Marina Shafir. While Baszler succeeded in her debut at Bloodsport X, Shafir would win the women’s tournament, defeating two opponents on the same card. GCW could make a matchup to pit them against each other for an action-packed showdown.

GCW has plenty of fun options for opponents who can face Baszler. Regardless, the former WWE NXT Women’s Champion’s return to GCW marks another sign that the wrestling world has significantly changed. 

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles from Damage CTRL at Backlash in France. Now, their next challengers have been determined, setting the stage for an exciting title defense.

Which team will earn an opportunity to challenge for the #WomensTagTitles?#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/BdwsSzRPSR

— WWE (@WWE) May 21, 2024

The May 20 edition of WWE RAW featured a fatal four-way match to decide who would face Belair and Cargill for the titles. The match included Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, and Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane. The competition was fierce as each team vied for the #1 contender spot.

In the end, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark secured the win by hitting Dupri with an alley-oop into a high knee double team move. This victory earned them the #1 contender spot for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.

This is interesting, because Sonya Deville returned to WWE television earlier in the night after a nine-month hiatus. She had a backstage segment with the new #1 contenders, adding a layer of intrigue to the night’s events. Deville’s return was a notable moment, sparking curiosity about her future role.

 The date for the next WWE Women’s Tag Team Title defense has not been announced, but it was promoted as a “future title opportunity.” As of now, the match is not booked for the 2024 Queen and King of the Ring on May 25. Fans are eagerly awaiting more details about when and where Baszler and Stark will challenge for the titles.

While Jade Cargill is out of the tournament after a DQ loss to Nia Jax on SmackDown, Bianca Belair is still competing. Belair will face Jax this Friday for a spot in the finals, where the winner will take on Lyra Valkyria in Saudi Arabia. 

Shayna Baszler has proven yet again that she’s not somebody to mess with after achieving the rank of black belt in Judo. 

The news was shared by the Tampa Florida Judo Academy on Instagram that Baszler had achieved her black belt ranking by martial arts expert Dr. Rhadi Ferguson. Baszler was described as “one of the most accomplished athletes in the world of combat sports.” 

https://www.instagram.com/p/p:C5mxsycMI7K

Baszler’s accomplishment in Judo shows her dedication, skill, and pursuit of excellence in the world of combat sports. This hard work has evidently paid off for the ‘Queen of Spades’ who is considered one of the most legitimate fighters in WWE today. 

Shayna Baszler: The Real Deal

Shayna Baszler’s toughness cannot be denied whether in the world of professional wrestling or in combat sports. In WWE, she is a two-time NXT Women’s Champion, a three-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, and the 2020 Women’s Elimination Chamber winner. 

Outside of the squared circle, Baslzer competed in the UFC after winning the 2013 reality show The Ultimate Fighter. She is also trained in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 

Her MMA training would come at the hands of former UFC fighter Josh Barnett. It’s therefore fitting that Baszler mixed her love of wrestling and MMA at Barnett’s Bloodsport X event where she earned a hard-fought victory over TNA Wrestling’s Masha Slamovich. 

Away from combat sports, Baszler has competed in roller derby, a sport that sees plenty of scrapes and injuries to its competitors. It’s therefore for the best that Baszler, the head coach for the Sioux Falls Roller Dollz, is also a certified EMT. 

Shayna Baszler’s step through the ‘forbidden door’ was a successful one for the Queen of Spades, who earned a big win at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X. 

At the event, Baszler made a rare non-WWE appearance to take on TNA Wrestling’s Masha Slamovich. Both women had back-up as Baszler was accompanied by Zoey Stark while Slamovich arrived alongside reigning TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace. 

The crowd was at a fever pitch, delivering a “Holy S**t” chant before things for underway. The two combatants traded leg locks and fought to a stalemate to get things started. The crowd was noticeably pro-Slamovich and anti-Baszler, though this could have been more pro-GCW and anti-WWE. 

Baszler took control with jabs to the ribcage while Slamovich fought back with strikes and a flying armbar. Baszler tried to lock in an armbar of her own before Slamovich reversed the attempt. 

The finish saw Baszler slip out of an armbar and lock in an ankle lock. Slamovich tried to escape but Baszler released the hold and hit a flurry of stomps so brutal the ref called for the bell. There were loud boos and “F**k You Shayna” chants as she was declared the winner.

https://twitter.com/PuroresuFlow/status/1776008128502390847

Charlie Dempsey in Action

Baszler wasn’t the only WWE name in action at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X. Earlier in the show, Charlie Dempsey got a submission victory over Matt Makowsi. The finish of the fight saw Dempsey hit a stiff European uppercut on the BJJ Black belt and follow with a German Suplex and double wrist-lock to get the submission victory. 

Charlie Dempsey killing it!#Bloodsport #GCW #JBBSX
https://t.co/2O4TzqL4MF

— ?????? (@WrestlingCovers) April 4, 2024

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Monday, March 25. Monday Night RAW is tonight, and there are a lot of stories to get to, so let’s jump right into it!

Days Until WrestleMania 40: 12

WWE:

– WrestleMania 41 Location: Minneapolis is very confident that they are going to land the location for WrestleMania 41.

–Bayley Gets Love From WWE Shop: Bayley got a new t-shirt for the road to WrestleMania 40. She’s very excited about this new drop as well. You can click here to see what they have to offer in the WWE Shop.

Been a couple years, but we finally got one! Buy yours now before Mania so we can make more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Muahahahaahaha https://t.co/orxwpoUN8v

— Bayley (@itsBayleyWWE) March 22, 2024

– Baszler Wants Stinkfaced: Rhea Ripley’s stinkface activities got around the roster. Now, Shayna Baszler is begging to receive one from The Nightmare.

– Meek Mill x WrestleMania 40: Triple H sent rapper Meek Mill an invitation to attend WrestleMania 40 in Philly. We will have to see if he is spotted at the show with his sons.

– Asuka Is Cleared: Good news for Asuka and Damage CTRL, because she was cleared to compete again. The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion took part in live events over the weekend.

WWE RAW (3/25) Advertised Card:

• C.M. Punk returns to Raw
• Ricochet vs. J.D. McDonagh
• Ivy Nile vs. Candice LeRae
• Andrade vs. Ivar
• Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
• Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed

AEW:

– The Snake is All Elite: While speaking to SEScoops, WWE Hall of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts confirmed he inked a new deal with AEW.

– AEW Avoiding WrestleMania Competition: AEW Collision’s April 6 episode will air at 11:30 PM EST. They are being bumped up due to college basketball on the schedule, but this change will also see them avoid direct competition with WWE’s WrestleMania 40 event.

– AEW Dynasty Ticket Sales: WrestleTix reports on their Patreon that AEW Dynasty in St. Louis on April 21st has sold 5,321 tickets, with 783 tickets left out of the current setup of 6,104. This turnout is significant, particularly when compared to AEW’s previous event, which drew 3,109 fans on January 20th for a Collision episode.

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

April 6: NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

Shayna Baszler was hoping to get up close and personal with Rhea Ripley after a stinkface from the WWE Women’s World Champion went viral online. 

At an event on March 23 in Springfield, IL, Ripley avoided taking a stinkface from Nia Jax during a title match triple threat that included Baszler. After escaping the corner, Ripley hit a stinkface of her own on the Irresistible Force, much to the delight of the crowd. 

Shayna Baszler Wants A Stinkface

The next night, the three women had the same match, as WWE live events often use the same card in different cities. Once again, Ripley was poised to hit Jax with the finishing move of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi. This time, however, Baszler interjected and placed herself in the corner, eager to be hit by the move. 

Unfortunately for Baslzer, who has dated both men and women in the past, it wasn’t meant to be. Nia Jax would interrupt before Shayna’s face got well-acquainted with the buttocks of the Australian Superstar. Ripley would go on to retain the title. 

Shayna is the entire IWC 🤣 #WWERockford pic.twitter.com/2F6mAZqmrg

— Mexican Nightmare. (@MexiNightmare) March 25, 2024

Buddy Matthews Weighs In

Ripley has some flirty fun in the ring, but she is happily engaged to AEW star Buddy Matthews. After her stinkface on Nia Jax went viral, Matthews said it was a regular occurrence for him. 

Weekly occurence for me! 🤤

— Buddy Matthews (@SNM_Buddy) March 24, 2024

What’s Next? 

Rhea Ripley will defend the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40 against Becky Lynch. The Man earned the title match by winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber last month. The match will be Ripley’s second time defending a title at WrestleMania. She previously failed to retain the NXT Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 36,  

Last week, Josh Barnett revealed that, in a rare GCW-WWE crossover, Shayna Baszler will be in action at the upcoming Bloodsport X showcase on April 4. Per usual, this event will once again take place in the midst of the WrestleMania 40 festivities, specifically as a part of the GCW Collective.

Coming off this major announcement, several GCW talents raised interest in facing Baszler. Ultimately, only one would be offered this opportunity. And after delivering a compelling pitch, we now know that the lucky talent is none other than “The Russian Dynamite” Masha Slamovich.

‘The Russian Dynamite’ Prepares To Meet ‘The Queen of Spades’

Upon confirming Slamovich as Baszler’s Bloodsport opponent, Josh Barnett also released footage of Slamovich’s impassioned message to her on X.

While Baszler may be in a different company right now, Slamovich asserted that they both have been seeking out the same thing — fresh competition (or prey, rather). As such, Slamovich believes it only fitting that they fulfill their hunger in a one-on-one matchup at Bloodsport. 

“I know that you are the Disciple of the Warmaster, that you are the Queen of Spades, but guess what? You have never seen a competitor so hungry,”  Slamovich said to Baszler. “You’ve never ever been in the ring with somebody like the Russian Dynamite, somebody who’s clawed their way through Bloodsport, someone who’s clawed their way to the very heights of GCW, to the very height of the indies, holding gold around the world.”

“So while these days count down to Bloodsport, I hope you’re training. I hope you’re ready, because I’m hungry and there’s nothing, there’s no body who can stop me, not even you.”

In addition to Baszler, Bloodsport X will also mark the GCW of Nic Nemeth (formerly Dolph Ziggler), who is slated to take on “Speedball” Mike Bailey in a first-time matchup. Josh Barnett will be in action as well as he battles Johnny Bloodsport (John Morrison).

Shayna Baszler’s role at the upcoming Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport X is the culmination of years of a deal trying to be reached between the indie promotion and WWE. 

The two-time WWE NXT Women’s Champion will be part of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport event that will take place during WrestleMania week. This is a huge get for GCW as WWE has historically been against allowing their talent compete elsewhere, though that stance has softened in recent years.

Years in the Making

Baszler’s role at Bloodsport X is a huge deal and isn’t the first time Barnett has made the effort, Fightful Select reports. Years ago, Barnett inquired about the possibility of Jessamyn Duke working Bloodsport while she was under WWE contract. Duke was said to be open to the idea but WWE said no. 

Duke had trained with Barnett in the past and had MMA experience thanks to her time on The Ultimate Fighter and UFC. She has not competed in WWE or UFC since her 2021 release.

Getting in Touch

Barnett made the call and personally requested that Baszler appear on the GCW Bloodsport show. It’s reported that he and Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque have known each other for years. 

Working Together Again? 

When the news of Baszler’s involvement with Bloodsport was made public, some suggested that WWE and GCW were working together “again.” This is in reference to a photo that surfaced in 2022 featuring Brett Lauderdale and Stephanie McMahon. At the time, the sight of the pair, alongside GCW talent and staff, in a suit at WrestleMania led to rumors that the two companies were working together. 

This wasn’t the case and WWE had some fun with the rumors as company reps didn’t shoot down the notion, but later definitively denied the connection. The ‘Mania suite belonged to Orange Crush, a co-owner of Jersey Championship Wrestling and McMahon was on hand to greet everyone, regardless of affiliation. Sources told Fightful that both WWE and GCW got a good laugh out of the “harmless” rumors. 

Fans excited to see WWE Superstars make appearances outside the promotion know who exactly who to thank for this huge deal. 

Earlier this week, it was reported that WWE Superstars would be competing at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, which will be part of the GCW Collective during WrestleMania 40 week. GCW themselves wasted little time in confirming the report by announcing that Shayna Baszler will be part of their Bloodsport show. 

WWE’s Decision Maker

WWE talent working the GCW Collective is a huge deal given the Sports Entertainment juggernauts historic reluctance to work with others. In his Figure-Four daily update, Dave Meltzer revealed that the call for WWE talent to take indie dates around WrestleMania week came from none other than Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque himself. Meltzer added that the Game has a “different view on these things” compared to his father-in-law Vince McMahon. 

Playing Well with Others

While this is a historic move by WWE, it isn’t the first time that Triple H has shown a willingness to work with other promotions. In 2020, WWE brought in then-IMPACT Knockouts Champion Mickie James for that year’s Women’s Royal Rumble. This year’s match saw TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace compete in the match. 

On the men’s side of things, Shinsuke Nakamura was able to compete for Pro Wrestling NOAH last year as part of The Great Muta’s retirement tour. More recently, WWE NXT Superstar Charlie Dempsey challenged for the AJPW Triple Crown Championship this past January. 

WWE reportedly will not be the only promotion playing host to its roster WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia as Shayna Baszler breaks down a wall.

There’s big news on the forefront when it comes to the relationship of WWE and GCW. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is reporting that Josh Barnett’s ever-popular Bloodsport event that takes place every WrestleMania will indeed feature multiple talents from WWE. 

One name who has been revealed to participating is Shayna Baszler as Josh Barnett made the announcement Friday afternoon.

“What does it mean when a Queen takes up the sword and marches to war? Blood. Victory. Glory. From battlefields all over the world – MMA & the UFC, WWE NXT, WWE, Stardom, and more – to now step into a ring she was made for from the beginning. The Warmaster’s disciple, “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler, comes to Josh Barnett’s: Bloodsport X.”

What does it mean when a Queen takes up the sword and marches to war?

Blood. Victory. Glory.

From battlefields all over the world – MMA & the @ufc , @WWENXT , @WWE , @wwr_stardom , and more – to now step into a ring she was made for from the beginning.

The Warmaster's… pic.twitter.com/DKBbW2VTh8

— ??? ????????? (@JoshLBarnett) March 15, 2024

The collaboration is significant, considering in the past WWE has been very protective of its territory surrounding WrestleMania and other tentpole PLE events. 

A report and reveal like this further indicates WWE’s willingness to extend an olive branch out to other promotions not under their banner. Triple H and WWE did the same courtesy to TNA in January when they had TNA World Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace become a surprise entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match.

Wildly enough, last year’s Bloodsport featured AEW star Jon Moxley in a featured match against Alex Coughlin.

Keep your eyes out for more potential WWE names being announced for Bloodsport X as we draw closer to WrestleMania weekend.

Becky Lynch was eager to lose the Raw Women’s Championship to a rising Superstar in 2020 until WWE made it clear that wasn’t going to happen. 

In early 2020, Lynch feuded with Shayna Baszler over the championship which Lynch had won at WrestleMania 35 the previous year. Baszler’s infamous debut on Raw saw her bite the neck of Lynch in a gruesome moment that immediately went viral at the time. 

Becky Lynch Wanted to Lose

Following Baszler’s shocking debut on Raw, WWE continued to build momentum for her. That year, Baszler won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match to earn a title match with Lynch, and in a display of dominance, eliminated everyone else inside the Chamber structure. 

Despite being built up to be a genuine threat to Lynch, Baszler lost in their title match at WrestleMania 36. In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir The Man, Lynch explained that she asked WWE to let her lose the title to the Queen of Spades.

“I had recommended that she take the title from me at WrestleMania… I had been a babyface champion for so long and could feel the audience beginning to turn on me. I had gone from underdog to top dog and such a situation can’t overstay its welcome.”

Lynch was confident that losing the title to Baszler at WrestleMania 36 was the right call but WWE disagreed with that idea. 

“We needed to make more female contenders and what better way to do that than having them win the title on the grandest stage of them all? Everyone wins. Except me, whose request was denied. I wanted to lose, but I would actually win, so it was a loss… Sigh. Wrestling is confusing.”

What Happened Next? 

Within weeks of her unwanted win over Baszler, Lynch vacated the Raw Women’s Title due to her pregnancy. Asuka would be awarded the title 24 hours after her victory in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match. While Baszler would capture the Women’s Tag Team Championships with Nia Jax that same year, she’s still yet to get a singles Women’s title win on the main roster.

It seems WWE may have a new match in mind for WrestleMania 39 in April.

As we get closer to WrestleMania, WWE is making clear decisions on what matches will be on the card. The company has confirmed three matches for WrestleMania 39, including the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

They have also started teasing potential matchups like Brock Lesnar vs. Omos and Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins. However, it also seems like WWE could be changing their minds on one particular match.

WrestleMania 39 Match Change

On Feb. 6, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler would challenge Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and IYO Sky) for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39. Since Rousey’s return, WWE has started to have her and Baszler team up more instead of positioning her as a singles competitor.

Fans may remember that she lost her Smackdown Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair on the Dec. 31, 2022 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. WWE has moved on to Flair defending her title against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania, instead of a rematch with Rousey.

However, a new report from WON claims that Rousey will in fact have a marquee match at WrestleMania 39.

Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Match

“Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey will challenge for the women’s tag titles. It was originally against Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai, the champions, said the report. It continues, “… Lita & Becky Lynch face Sky & Kai, and WrestleMania is about marquee matches, and Lita & Lynch as a team against Baszler & Rousey is a bigger match.”

Lita and Becky Lynch will face Damage CTRL on the Feb. 27 episode of Monday Night Raw for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. If the report is accurate, Lita and Lynch may defeat Damage CTRL to win the tag titles, and WWE could start to build toward Lita and Lynch against Rousey and Baszler. It’s also unclear what the entire Damage CTRL (including Bayley) group will do for WrestleMania 39 if the WON report is accurate.

It’s important to note that WWE has yet to share the entire card, and while it’s reported, it has yet to happen. Fans must see how this upcoming Monday Night Raw episode will play out for the women’s tag titles.

• Backstage News On Which Matches Could Main Event WrestleMania 39

Tonight, WWE SmackDown on FOX will descend on the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina for the latest installment of the show.

After some monumental changes to WWE’s management and several returns, fans are interested in what will happen on the show in this post-Vince McMahon era of the company.

WWE’s Head of Creative Triple H will be running things behind the scenes, and thanks to a report, we have an idea of what will be taking place during tonight’s two hours of the blue brand.

Karrion Kross’ Return

On last week’s SmackDown, Karrion Kross and Scarlett returned to WWE, with the former NXT Champion attacking Drew McIntyre.

Kross’ abrupt appearance at the end of last week’s show also saw him stare down with Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns, making it clear he wants to be champion.

According to Fightful, Kross will be on tonight’s show, “with full presentation” including his hourglass entrance.

The Contract Signing

Tonight’s SmackDown will continue the build to WWE Clash at the Castle, which will see SmackDown Women’s Champion Liv Morgan defend against Shayna Baszler.

The pair will have a contract signing tonight, where Morgan will still wear a sling, selling her kayfabe injury from Baszler earlier this month.

Ronda Rousey has been scheduled to get involved with the contract signing in some way.

And More

Fightful also reports that there is a table spot planned for tonight’s SmackDown on FOX.

Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, the Street Profits, and Roman Reigns are all tentatively scheduled for the show, though the card as always is subject to change.

Shayna Baszler is “frustrated” by the criticism her friend and WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey receives.

Rousey officially made her WWE debut in 2018, joining WWE full-time as a competitor. She has since gone on to win both the RAW and SmackDown Women’s Titles once each, the latter of which she still holds.

While Rousey has certainly done some impressive things since making the jump from mixed martial arts (MMA) to professional wrestling, she isn’t without her critics.

Whether it’s her in ring work, promos, or the way she ended her MMA career, there’s always a group of people who have something negative to say about “The Rowdy One,” and as Shayna Baslzer explains on “Out Of Character” with Ryan Satin, it frustrates her.

“Here’s the thing, I know Ronda enough to know that she does not spend her time on social media. Anytime she comments is because someone has said, ‘Hey, Ronda, you should comment on this,’ which isn’t often because she’ll still be like, ‘Why? Who cares?’ I get frustrated when – it’s a little more selfish than that. I get frustrated if I ever were to speak out.”

Rousey and Baszler are great friends, having competed together in the UFC for several years. Both women now have homes in WWE, although a singles title run on the main roster has eluded Baszler thus far.

She is a two-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion as well as a former NXT Women’s Champion. As for Rousey, she’s slated to put her SmackDown Women’s Title up for grabs against Natalya at the upcoming Money In The Bank premium live event.

Quotes via 411Mania

When Shayna Baszler made the transition from MMA to wrestling, she didn’t have very high hopes of joining WWE. It was before the Women’s Revolution and the company wasn’t interested in signing competitors like her. The indie scene in US was also popularized by high-flying wrestlers. Her old-school style was not what fans looked for and at first, Baszler didn’t feel very good about her chances.

The former NXT women’s champion recently recalled this time during her appearance on Out of Character. She mentioned how the first time she felt confident was in Japan because the people there loved her style.

She still had a tryout with WWE before the inaugural Mae Young Classic. Though after not hearing back from officials for six months, Shayna had given up the hope of ever signing with the company. This is when the unexpected happened:

‘I’ll Probably Never Get Signed’

“I had my tryout, didn’t hear anything back. I went to Japan and I remember, we had gone on a dojo I was with. We had gone on a vacation.” recalled Shayna Baszler, “I was sitting in a hot tub at this spa. I remember being like, ‘You know what? This is pretty awesome. I’ll probably never get signed.’ I haven’t heard back from them.

She continued: “This is cool though. I’m traveling all over the world and I was like, ‘This is awesome. I’m living a pretty sweet life.’ So I had kind of like decided ‘Okay I did it, it’s not a big deal [that] I didn’t make it’ Then almost within the week that I got home from Japan, I got a call about the Mae Young Classic. So [it’s] kind of wild.”

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If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Shayna Baszler wrestled in her home town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota over the weekend. She lost to Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match that also included Naomi.

The former NXT Women’s champion spoke with Argus Leader last week about her transition from MMA to pro wrestling.

Many paths require you to be passionate in order to succeed. With a sport as dangerous as mixed martial arts, it’s essential. Baszler recalls “falling out of love” with MMA during the tail end of her fighting career. This led her to pursue pro wrestling.

“I think my coach had recognized and I think, you know, in hindsight, I can admit it, I think I was falling out of love with MMA, I started losing fights I shouldn’t have. I didn’t feel scared anymore. You know what I mean? Like I just didn’t care as much as I did before, when I was younger in the sport.”

Realizing her passion for MMA was slipping away, she asked the UFC if she could take some pro wrestling dates while still under contract with them. They rejected her request, which led her coach to suggest she pursue wrestling full-time. He presented it to her as somewhat of a ‘reset.’

Shayna Baszler’s Transition to Wrestling

Bazsler made a seamless transition to the squared circle. She’s been successful in the highly-competitive world of WWE. In just a few years, she’s achieved some impressive milestones.

When asked about her favorite moments as a pro wrestler, she said her most memorable match was winning the NXT women’s championship for the first time.

However, she doesn’t rate that as her best or favorite match.

One of her favorite matches is when she lost that NXT Women’s Championship to Rhea Ripley. She knows wrestling is all about storytelling and she was satisfied to lose the title as a heel to an up-and-coming babyface.

“I think on the flip side of that, I think when I lost the title to Rhea Ripley, that match is one of my favorite matches because the way we told the story and it’s so cool because I lose and the crowd, the fans are so happy that the bad guy lost and the good guy won that they stormed the ring.”

Shayna Baszler has excelled in MMA and pro wrestling. There are some similarities between the two sports, but also some stark differences. She has spoken in-depth about the challenges associated with being a former UFC fighter in WWE. You can read her thoughts on that subject right here:

• Shayna Baszler Comments On “Juggling Act” To Remain True To Her Roots

Shayna Baszler has 26 professional MMA fights on her record. She also went through a very old-school training to prepare her for professional wrestling. Now, however, Baszler is on RAW where she has been involved in an angle with supernatural aspects to it. Baszler lost to Alexa Bliss at Hell in a Cell and has also had run-ins with Bliss’ doll Lilly.

Baszler recently spoke to Sports Illustrated. She talked about coming from an old-school background and juggling the storylines she’s been working on RAW.

“It’s always been a constant juggling act, and that’s not just on Raw,” Baszler said. “That’s also [been the case in] my time in NXT and the indies. I come from a very old-school professional wrestling tradition. Josh Barnett and Billy Robinson were my main coaches, and they’re really, really old-school.”

“It’s been a juggling act to stay true to my martial lineage in professional wrestling, that style I bring where people believe what I do.”

“It’s special. There are wrestlers that work for 20 years to build that legitimacy in the eyes of the fans, and I have it when I come through the curtain.”

Shayna Baszler On Staying True To Her Martial Lineage

Baszler continued to talk about if she feels that Billy Robinson would support what she is doing in WWE.

“I always think about Billy when I get in the ring,” Baszler said. “After he passed away [in 2014], I remember Josh saying, ‘At the end of the day, if Billy would look at it and nod his head, then you’re doing fine.’ I hope Billy would be understanding that I’m trying to do this balancing act between my old-school, pure wrestling style and the way it’s presented on TV today.”

Baszler would say that she’s just trying to show that she can be counted on to work with what she is given.

“I need to show that I can be counted on to nail whatever it is I’m being asked to do,” Baszler says. “It’s easy to be a badass tyrant like I was in NXT. I can totally fit that role. After establishing myself as that, it’s important to show I can cover a wide range of what professional wrestling is today.”

Baszler and her partner Nia Jax were defeated by Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss on RAW. The result of the match means Bliss and Cross have both qualified for the MOney in the Bank ladder match.

WWE announced a new match for the upcoming Hell In A Cell PPV during this week’s episode of Raw confirming that Alexa Bliss will be taking on Shayna Baszler on the show.

Last week’s episode the Red Brand featured an Alexa’s playground segment in the main event. It included Baszler as well and Bliss asked the former NXT women’s champion to apologize to her doll Lilly.

Shayna took the doll from Bliss but she stomped her instead. The lights then started to flicker and Baszler got caught up in the pyro on the stage when she tried to run to backstage.

The Queen of Spades went to the locker room and locked herself inside. However, Lily showed up on the mirror and the segment, and the show ended with Baszler screaming as the lights went out.

The opening segment of this week’s Hell In A Cell go home episode of Raw saw Nia Jax confronting Bliss backstage. Jax said that her partner will see Bliss at the PPV, making the match official.

Updated Hell In A Cell Match Card

This is the fifth match officially announced for the show this Sunday with one or two more bouts expected to be added on SmackDown. Below you can check out the updated card for the show so far:

• WWE Championship Hell In a Cell Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley, If Lashley wins McIntyre will not be able to challenge the All Mighty for the title again
• Universal Championship Hell In a Cell Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns
• Raw Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley
• SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley vs. Bianca Belair
• Singles Match: Shayna Baszler vs. Alexa Bliss

Hell In A Cell this year will take place on June 20 from the WWE ThunderDome at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida

WWE has not announced a WrestleMania match for the women’s tag team championship so far but latest reports have revealed what the company is planning for the titles.

According to reports from PWinsider, the current plan is to hold a multi-team #1 contenders tag match featuring four or more teams on night one of the show.

Night two of the WrestleMania event will then see the winner of this multi team match challenging the current women’s tag team champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax for their titles.

WWE’s contract with Tropicana Field is coming to an end on April 2. The first Raw tapings at the Yuengling Center will be taking place on April 12.

In preparation of the move, the company taped the WrestleMania go home episode of Raw in advance and they set up the mentioned matches for the PPV during the episode.

While the participants for the #1 contenders match have not been revealed so far, based on the recent WWE programming Lana & Naomi, Tamina Snuka & Natalya, Liv Morgan & Ruby Riott, and Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke are some of the teams which could compete in the bout.

WrestleMania 37 will take place on April 10 and April 11 from Raymond James Stadium and it will be the first WWE event in over a year to feature live audience.

• Updated WrestleMania 37 Card: Steel Cage Stipulation, Title Match

WWE Superstar Shayna Baszler recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. The former MMA fighter discussed a number of topics during her time on the show; including the concept of the BloodSport PPV and the WWE ‘lite’ version, RAW Underground.

Creator of the current run of BloodSport PPVs Josh Barnett has a unique relationship with Shayna Baszler. Both former fighters transitioned into pro wrestling from martial arts, and Barnett was one of the trainers, alongside Billy Robinson, who helped Baszler adapt her martial arts background into a career inside the squared circle.

Renee Paquette suggested during the podcast that she felt the now defunct RAW Underground was created ‘especially’ for Baszler.

Shayna Baszler on BloodSport/RAW Underground

Baszler replied and said that the concept of RAW Underground/BloodSport would’ve worked perfectly for her. “Obviously [it would have], with my martial upbringing and everything with Josh and Billy Robinson. [It was] Kind of that Pancrase/UWF-i style, that’s what Bloodsport and RAW Underground was I think.”

Shayna Baszler also noted how she believes not every professional wrestler is suited to the ‘faux shoot fight’ style. It was discussed during the podcast how Jon Moxley was a big part of the recent BloodSport PPV events, and Baszler said how it really does take a certain type of performer to pull off the gimmick.

“The difficult part is that, and I’m just speculating I’m not speaking for anyone, but just knowing how I trained for that style of professional wrestling? I don’t think you can grab just any pro wrestler nowadays, and just throw them into this and they know how to do it and make it look the way it’s supposed to look.”

Would you like to see RAW Underground return for the likes of Shayna Baszler? Let us know in the comments

WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio Bully Ray recently discussed the tag team of Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. This week’s episode of RAW saw both women lose in their respective matches; with Nia Jax saying the now infamous ‘MY HOLE’ line that started trending Monday night.

“I think both of them need help with their in-ring work” Bully Ray began on Busted Open. “Nia looks like she doesn’t like to get touched, when you swing…now when you go for a punch at Nia? Her head is down and her hands are up. I think she needs to work on some of that stuff. When I say she needs to work on it? I’m saying it in a way where I’m trying to help not hurt or bash somebody.”

Bully Ray on Nia Jax

Bully Ray then discussed the rumors that Vince McMahon has already sent talent back ‘down’ to the Performance Center over the past few months to polish their game. One of the bigger names rumored to be sent back to the PC was Keith Lee, so Bully Ray uses this as a precedent to get more main roster Superstars to get help with their skillset.

“The reason I think this is because we heard reports of Vince McMahon sending certain talent down to the PC for a little bit of extra help” Ray stated. “There’s nothing wrong with that, especially when you have a place like the PC around. So if it’s there. Hey girls, Nia? There’s a couple of holes in your game, no pun intended!”

• Bidet Company Reaches Out To Nia Jax

Ray finished by praising Nia Jax for her work with Lana in the Tables match on Monday night. “Go work on some of this stuff, because the regression is significant to me especially when I see them (Nia and Shayna) together. I like the job that Nia did last night with Lana. I thought that was a decently booked table match with the right outcome, the right payoff, they did it the right way.”

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler have captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship for a second time. 

It happened when they dethroned Charlotte Flair and Raw Women’s Champion Asuka at the Royal Rumble.  The match finish saw Ric Flair and Lacey Evans come out. After multiple instances of interference from Evans, it led to her hitting Flair in the face with what looked like brass knuckles. Thus, this allowed Jax to hit a leg drop to Flair for the win.

This was a rematch from last month’s WWE TLC pay-per-view where Asuka and Flair dethroned their opponents to become the champions. WWE had just announced this match last week on Raw. On the show, Jax, Baszler & Lacey Evans defeated Charlotte, Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke in a six-woman tag match. Before this, in the same episode, Charlotte vs. Baszler took place but ended in a disqualification as Jax attacked Charlotte as she was going to put Baszler in the Figure Eight. 

Charlotte, Jax, and Baszler declared for the women’s Royal Rumble match so they all ended up pulling double duty at the PPV. WWE played this up leading into the Royal Rumble as there had been dissension between Jax and Baszler over them both being entrants in the Royal Rumble.

What are your thoughts on Nix Jax and Shayna Baszler winning the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles? Was this the right call by WWE officials? Sound off in the comment section.

Shayna Baszler ruled the women’s division for a long stretch of NXT’s recent history. 

Aside from her singles accomplishments, Baszler was NXT Women’s Champion for over a year during her second reign as champion. That came to a halt when she was dethroned by Rhea Ripley. 

Earlier this year after the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, WWE decided to move her to the Monday Night RAW brand permanently.

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion did an interview with Kayla Braxton on her IGTV series where she admitted that she does miss a part of NXT. 

“When you watch Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, there’s a certain aura, energy, that each show kind of specifically has on its own. There is this kind of gritty energy that NXT has, you know, and it is something that I miss. 

But I ruled that division and so it was time to move on. If you want to keep fresh, you gotta do stuff like that, even if it seems like it sucks. It’s like graduating high school. It sucked kind of, but you have to do it.”

Baszler is one half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions with Nia Jax. she also wrestled then-RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36. 

Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax On Coexisting As Champions

Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax have commented on their WWE Women’s Tag Team victory following their bout on Sunday night’s Payback event.

The new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions weren’t shy in demonstrating there is friction between them. This was evident during the photoshoot, which saw both women appear to aggravate the other whilst posing with their new gold. However, it was stressed that if they can coexist as champions, then the WWE Universe can expect a long title reign.

During the shoot, Shayna Baszler revealed how she and Nia Jax have struck up a deal to ensure they keep the belts.

“We made a deal,” Baszler stated, “and as long as she keeps her end of the deal, we’re going to reign forever.” When asked what the deal was, Baszler commented, “I help her do this, she gets off my back.”

Nia Jax then sarcastically shared how “Yeah, we got a deal. For sure, trust me. Partner,” before giving Baszler a shove as Baszler told her to leave her alone.

WWE also shared a post-match video of former champions Bayley and Sasha Banks. When asked for a reaction or comment on their title loss, both women walked away without saying a word.