5 must-see Shayna Baszler moments
Today marks the birthday of former NXT Women's Champion and current member of the RAW roster, Shayna Baszler. The Queen of Spades began as a mixed martial artist and made the move to the wrestling world in 2015, before joining WWE in 2017 and debuting on NXT.
Baszler was dominant from day one on the Black and Gold brand, challenging then-NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane for her title in 2018. The performer broke records during her time in NXT, becoming the first woman to have two reigns with the belt and enjoying the second-longest title run, after Asuka.
After a powerful run in NXT, Baszler moved to Monday Night RAW's roster, immediately becoming involved in the championship picture. Let's take a look at some of the biggest moments of Shayna Baszler's WWE career so far.
#5 Shayna Baszler versus Io Shirai, steel cage match
In June 2019, Shayna Baszler was deep into her domineering run as NXT Women's Champion. She and Io Shirai were deeply involved in a feud over the title, and had recently battled for the belt at NXT TakeOver: XXV, where Baszler retained.
A rematch was set for the June 29 edition of NXT. The fans were anticipating something big from the pair, as they had recently delivered a fantastic set of matches, and the upcoming bout between the pair was to be a steel cage match.
The clash between Shirai and Shayna Baszler was the first-ever women's steel cage match in NXT. Tensions boiled over between the pair, and Baszler's allies, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir, interfered to help their friend win, preventing Shirai from leaving the cage.
Baszler managed to defeat Shirai, but post-match, the Genius of the Sky attacked her former ally Candice LaRae who had been trying to help her. This signaled a heel turn and a new direction for Shirai.