7 Ups And 3 Downs From NXT TakeOver: New York

1. Baszler Again?

Shayna Baszler NXT TakeOver New York
WWE

Umm, what?

Fans know that on the Raw and SmackDown after WrestleMania, we typically see several superstars get called up to the main roster. One of those NXT wrestlers many expect to move up is the current Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler. The Queen of Spades has been part of NXT for nearly two years now, and she’s improved significantly since her debut.

While she might still be new to the game and have a bit to learn, Baszler is also 38 and could fill a gap if Ronda Rousey does indeed leave after WM 35. It seems counter-intuitive to have Shayna retain the title and keep her in NXT longer at this stage.

Besides that, Baszler has beaten nearly everyone, so unless someone is coming along to dethrone her, this was the easiest way to get the title off her without having someone beat her directly.

Just a confusing decision all-around.

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Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.