This Overlooked Women's Star Just Got Her First WWE SmackDown Push

Someone...overlooked became number one contender to Liv Morgan's belt on WWE SmackDown.

Shayna Baszler
WWE.com

Shayna Baszler is the new number one contender for Liv Morgan's SmackDown Women's Title.

The overlooked star, who has been booked terribly since jumping to Friday nights during last year's WWE Draft, won a seven-woman 'Gauntlet Match' to grab a title shot - Shayna outlasted Aliyah, Natalya, Raquel Rodriguez, Shotzi, Sonya Deville and Xia Li to steal the spotlight.

This is a very promising sign for Baszler.

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Sure, she'll probably be a one-and-done challenger for Morgan come Clash At The Castle, but vying for one of the brand's top titles on a stadium show's main card is serious improvement for someone who was previously doing...absolutely nothing of note.

WWE buried Shayna beneath the likes of Sonya Deville upon her arrival on SmackDown, then teamed her with a few different partners. None of that went anywhere, and it looked like she'd never recapture her NXT menace.

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Friday's 'Gauntlet' was one mighty step in the right direction for Baszler though. She was booked to go over Rodriguez, and the announcers treated her like a credible threat to Liv's title. Fingers crossed that continues over the next month or so.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.