10 Most Improved Wrestlers Of 2018
7. Shayna Baszler
12 months ago, Shayna Baszler was a moderately intriguing developmental prospect coming off a middling Mae Young Classic run. Now, she's NXT's undisputed female ace, Asuka's heir as a dominant developmental alpha, and the best bully character in wrestling.
'The Queen Of Spades' has had a fantastic year, peaking with the outstanding Kairi Sane feud. Telling a classic tale of sweetheart babyface versus malevolent tormentor, its TakeOver bouts were laced with subtlety, as Baszler demonstrated psychological nuances way beyond her experience. WarGames III was its peak. Your writer might be the high guy on said 2-Out-Of-3 Falls match, but it was a blistering spectacle of everything that makes pro-wrestling great. Two world-class scrappers went to war in a super-sprint highlighted by perfectly-agented interference spots, Shayna's typically brutal limb work, and Sane's fire, and there wasn't a single second of flab to be found. It was fantastic, and a clear highlight on either woman's résumé.
Baszler has the most realistic-looking offense in WWE. It leans heavily on her MMA background without compromising wrestling's idiosyncrasies, and she has mastered her act at the top of NXT's pile. Here's hoping this (and her friendship with Ronda Rousey) translates to main roster success.