Shayna Baszler Says She Wouldn’t Fit In Any Other Era In WWE, Credits Rousey For Making It Possible

Shayna Baszler discusses her position in NXT.

As the only two-time champion, Shayna Baszler is arguably the most dominant NXT Women’s Champion in history. Combining her reigns, she’s held the title for over 460 days and counting, trailing only Asuka, who held the title for 522 days (recognized by WWE).

“Everybody’s goal in pro wrestling is a WrestleMania moment, and that is becoming more and more real for me, especially being on USA every week,” Baszler told Sports Illustrated. “I’m ready for that moment and I want to do it as NXT champion. When I started in professional wrestling, dreaming about how big this could get, the important thing for me was to stay true to who I am and what I’ve been brought up in. That’s the style I learned and that’s the style I love. I’m excited that it was the right time and right place. It’s the perfect time to bring this no-nonsense realism to wrestling.”

The women main evented WrestleMania this past year, thanks in part of Baszler’s friend in the MMA Horsewomen, Ronda Rousey. Before Rousey helped take the WWE women’s division to new heights, she was a pioneer for the women in MMA, something that isn’t lost on Baszler.

“Ronda’s work in WWE was the same thing she did in MMA,” said Baszler. “I was fighting long before Ronda, and I could drop all sorts of names of girls that could be known as ‘the best’ women’s MMA fighter of all-time, except no one knows them. No one brought eyes to MMA like Ronda did. She was the perfect storm of ingredients to bring eyes to mixed martial arts, and that snowballed into bringing eyes to professional wrestling. For me, I wouldn’t have fit into any other era in WWE, but Ronda’s success in MMA said this could be done.”

Baszler is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship against Candice LeRae on the Oct. 2 edition of NXT.