4 possible directions for Shayna Baszler following her loss in the WWE Queen of the Ring Tournament
The 2024 WWE Queen of the Ring tournament has been a hit. The only prior iteration to compare it to was the Queen's Crown Tournament a few years ago and that one left a lot to be desired. It featured fewer women and almost every match was three minutes or less.
Fast forward to the Triple H era and the Queen of the Ring has been considerably better. Most matches have had close to or more than ten minutes thus far, especially on Monday Night RAW. This has allowed for matches to deliver, and at times, over-deliver.
One match that certainly delivered the goods was Shayna Baszler vs. IYO SKY on the latest episode of RAW. While the bout was fantastic, the ending was not the one that The Queen of Spades was looking for, as she was ultimately defeated courtesy of The Genius of the Sky.
Shayna's loss had to be disappointing, as she has been riding a wave of momentum between defeating Maxxine Dupri to advance, competing at Bloodsport, and even on NXT. Now, of course, it is time to consider what she may do next. This article will look at a handful of directions Baszler's career could take.
Below are four possible directions for Shayna Baszler following her loss in the 2024 WWE Queen of the Ring tournament.
#4. She could target Damage CTRL
Shayna Baszler going one-on-one with IYO SKY and losing is only part of the story of what went down on Monday Night RAW. The issues between Shayna and SKY also included Kairi Sane, Dakota Kai, and Zoey Stark.
Earlier in the day, a confrontation occurred between Zoey, Shayna, and Damage CTRL that led to a shoving match between Baszler and the former WWE Women's Champion. This led to Shayna jumping IYO ahead of their match to try to get an upper hand. While it failed, their story may not be over.
The Queen of Spades may start hunting Damage CTRL down now, wanting revenge on the trio for her loss. This could lead to a match with Kairi, then Dakota, and ultimately a rematch with SKY that could be slotted as a main event match on Monday Night RAW in the future.
#3. Shayna Baszler could move to WWE NXT
Shayna Baszler is very familiar with NXT. While she was on WWE's developmental brand, she won the coveted NXT Women's Championship twice and held it for a record length of time when added together.
She recently made her return to the white and gold brand to unite with the up-and-coming Lola Vice and back her up in the NXT Underground Match against Natalya. This then led to Shayna taking on Karmen Petrovic, with the former NXT Women's Champion ultimately defeating the rookie.
Getting a taste of NXT and seeing the NXT Underground concept may have Shayna wanting to move to the brand full-time. She could make a great foe for Roxanne Perez and could then bully many of the young upstarts. If nothing else, Shayna would be much more appreciated on the show.
#2. She could form a stable with Zoey Stark
Shayna Baszler has had a few alliances in WWE. Her first consistent ally in the Stamford-based company was former RAW Women's Champion Nia Jax. Over time, she also united with Natalya and then Ronda Rousey.
Her most recent partner in crime has been Zoey Stark. The two have come close to winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in the past, but have been unsuccessful. As a result, it may be time for them to branch out and expand their team into a full stable.
Lola Vice, who as noted earlier, has been mentored by Shayna could be a quality partner. A star who is not currently active such as Raquel Rodriguez could also step up. Given their history together, Natalya would also be a logical addition to making a dangerous trio.
#1. Baszler could renew her rivalry with Becky Lynch
Shayna Baszler had an infamous main roster debut for WWE. She notoriously bit Becky Lynch and showed off a bloody mouth afterward. From there, Baszler dominated the Women's Elimination Chamber Match and battled The Man at WrestleMania.
Ultimately, Shayna lost to Big Time Becks and shortly thereafter, Becky vacated the RAW Women's Championship when she was pregnant. The Queen of Spades has yet to get proper revenge or another top-level bout with Becky since then outside of a singles match on RAW earlier this year.
There is a chance that The Queen of Spades' next direction could be reigniting her past feud with The Man. Becky Lynch and Shayna could clash over the Women's World Championship and Baszler could potentially finally defeat the one star who always got the better of her.