10 WWE Booking Gimmicks And Characters Other Companies Are Doing Better
5. Women's MMA Fighter
Shayna Baszler is a great athlete.
Shayna Baszler is a great performer.
Shayna Baszler SHOULD be an amazing WWE character and Women's Champion who takes pleasure in bending you in half, however booking decisions since Baszler's main roster debut in February 2020 insist otherwise. After a surprise defeat to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36, Baszler entered a 'can they coexist?' partnership alongside Nia Jax which coexisted for 2 Women's Tag Team Championship reigns, before entering a profoundly stupid feud with Alexa Bliss, and now occupies a henchwoman role for SmackDown authority figure Sonya Deville, who herself has not had nearly enough chances to guillotine the soul out of someone.
At time of writing, Syuri has just capped off an amazing year for herself and the Stardom promotion in Japan, capturing the World of Stardom Championship from Utami Hayashishita at Dream Queendom. Syuri, a former UFC and Pancrase fighter, has been in multiple Match of the Year contenders alongside Hayashishita, as well as Momo Watanabe and Takumi Iroha, and holds Stardom's premier prize alongside the SWA World Championship and Goddess of Stardom Championship with Donna del Mondo partner Giulia.
Shoutout as well to the Ace of TJPW and their reigning Princess of Princess Champion Miyu Yamashita, whose shootboxing background becomes pretty evident anytime you see her Skull Kick finisher.