Shayna Baszler was one of the most dominant NXT champions of all time during her time on the fabled black and gold brand, but she is yet to taste world title glory on the main roster.
The Submission Magician, a former MMA fighter with a 15-11 record, is in Perth on standby should one of the women’s Elimination Chamber competitors fail to make the the show.
But as one of Triple H’s brightest lights during their NXT days, now that The Game is the big boss, many fans are expecting more from Baszler.
A breakout moment seemed like it was upon us last summer when Baszler turned on real-life best friend Ronda Rousey at the Money in the Bank event in London.
The O2 Arena erupted for the turn and the pair were off the to the races, but not without having to battle backstage for their big moment.
Rousey and Baszler had tasted Tag Team gold in the WWE before they would eventually split
‘I think what made it great was that it was unexpected,’ Baszler started.
‘Nobody knows this, but Ronda and I really fought so that we wouldn’t have any TV teasing of us arguing in a match or us being angry. We didn’t want any clue as to that happening.
‘We had a little bit of push back and back-and-forth about that so when it happened in the moment and the place erupted inside I was like “hell yeah, we were right!”
‘So that was kind of like a personal victory after fighting for that. Ronda and I did not lie, we were dreaming of that for 10 years – that was great.’
Baszler would defeat Rousey in a one-on-one match at SummerSlam that would prove to be the latter’s final WWE match for now. However, that meant that their feud lasted a little under three months.
The pair were friends long before WWE, dating back to their time in MMA and the UFC
Rousey’s last match in WWE was against her best friend, but she wouldn’t leave the victor
‘I wish we could have done it over a longer period of time, but we were under some time constraints.
‘I am proud of the work we did and I think a few years from now people will look back on that and realise you’re not going to find two people – even in the men’s locker room – that can put on a match the way we did,’ Baslzer insisted.
‘I understand it was a stadium and that particular stadium we had some constraints, like there wasn’t a jumbotron and it’s hard to see live, but we knew we were doing this for the TV crowd.
‘This is something that, later on, will be more appreciated for sure. It was our love letter to MMA in the language of pro wrestling.’
Was Rousey happy to lose to Baszler and put her friend over on the way out? Not quite.
Baszler scored a massive win over Rousey at SummerSlam, but hasn’t kept that momentum
‘I think if she was going to lose to anyone, I’d be the one she was least unhappy with [laughs].’
For those fans hoping to see more of Baszler, they should be in luck with Triple H at the helm.
Not only is The Game a big proponent of Baszlers, but he has been of women’s wrestling inside WWE for years.
‘I think the best way to explain it is, Triple H was there throughout my NXT run and I think, together, with creative there and myself, I was able to maximise what I’m capable of,’ Baszler explained.
‘Now, he’s more familiar with what I do, who I am, what I say. I think it just makes the process easier. I think the great thing about Triple H is he was on our side of the creative process.
The communication, he navigates that really well because he’s been in our shoes and now he’s running the thing. It’s just an easier process to get about ideas and some back-and-forth and some input into what’s going on.’
WWE Elimination Chamber is going down at the Opus Stadium in Perth, Australia. Find out more about experiences across Western Australia. Visit WesternAustralia.com.