4 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Feb 28)

Ups...

4. Hail To The Queen

Shayna Baszler Kairi Sane
WWE.com

Booking qualms aside, Sane vs. Baszler was a solid TV bout that, while short, accomplished the goal of making Shayna look like a stone cold killer ahead of her next clash with Ember Moon.

When 'The Queen Of Spades' says that "in just one month, I've become the most feared woman in NXT history," she isn't lying. Granted, Asuka probably has something to say about that, but Shayna's aura is incredible. The company have done a great job building her up as a force of nature, and after running through her brutalisations of Dakota Kai, Aliyah, and Moon before the match, NXT presented her as a beast.

Presence aside, what's most startling about the inexperienced former mixed martial artist is her assuredness. She looks totally at ease between the ropes, and while her work isn't quite there on a technical level, nobody else is as adapt at filling the space between moves.

That she has already nailed the intangibles is quite remarkable. Baszler has done the hard part, and when everything else catches up, she's going to be awesome.

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Channel Manager

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.