10 Next Big Things Currently On WWE's Books
2. Shayna Baszler
More Mae Young Classic spoilers. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Shayna Baszler may be 37 years old, and she may not have a great deal of pro wrestling experience, but she does have a degree of star power. A decade-plus MMA career saw Baszler spend a couple of years in the UFC, and though she had a less-than-spectacular record of 0-2, she was somewhat well-known for being a part of the sport’s playfully-titled Four Horsewomen, alongside Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke and of course, Ronda Rousey.
Make no mistake: there’s more to her than the prospect of crossover appeal. Despite being relatively new to wrestling, at time of writing she currently holds titles in AIW and New Horizon Pro Wrestling, so she’s clearly no slouch in the ring.
It’s all combined to make Baszler a valuable commodity for WWE, as we saw with the Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen showdown at last month’s Mae Young Classic tapings. That showdown, plus her progression to the finals, suggests that even though an official WWE contract is yet to be confirmed, the company looks to be confident of bringing her in for something longer-term.
There’s potential there in more than one department, which means there's also a chance that WWE may want to push her as its next top female star—providing they come to terms on a deal, that is.