11 Ups & 7 Downs For NXT In 2018

6. The Queen's Reign

WWE Evolution 2018 Shayna Baszler Kairi Sane
WWE.com

Her friend Ronda Rousey is a natural, and one of the most impressive WWE rookies ever, but not even the current Raw Women's Champion comes close to Shayna Baszler in terms of believable, realistic-looking offence.

'The Queen Of Spades' is a technical wrestling machine. Sinews snap and ligaments pop when she seizes a limb, pulls, and twists. Her signature arm-destruction spot is one of the most brutal in all of wrestling. Her strikes and transitions are on-point as well, and Baszler deserves great credit not only for incorporating her MMA background into wrestling in an authentic way, but also for doing so without undermining her current profession's dramatic tendencies.

The Kairi Sane feud was incredible. Each bout built upon the previous scrap's subtle beats with callback spots aplenty, and incredible in-ring chemistry transcending any minor flubs. Finally, the overbearing bully thwarted the sweetheart babyface at TakeOver: War Games, emerging from a blitzkrieg 2 Out Of 3 Falls match victorious, cementing her as the undisputed developmental alpha. A stunning conclusion that showed Baszler's run on top still has plenty of life heading into 2019.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.