Shayna Baszler is in line for a monster push after losing NXT Women's Championship (Opinion)
Last night marked the end of a monumental second NXT Championship reign for Shayna Baszler, when Rhea Ripley became the first-ever WWE Superstar to win NXT UK and NXT gold.
But why did The Queen of Spades drop the title? Were WWE simply capitalizing on the momentum of one of their hottest talents in The Nightmare - or is there another reason on the part of Shayna Baszler?
Well, one theory I have is that Baszler dropped the title because there's simply nothing left for the former UFC star in NXT, with The Queen of Spades doing absolutely everything she possibly could have on the brand, and that a monumental push awaits Baszler that will see her in a huge match at WrestleMania!
Not moving up. Just moving on.
Baszler's move isn't a "call up" as NXT has firmly established itself as WWE's third brand. But when you've spent so long dominating one brand, then a move to another just makes sense.
Beyond that, it's actually necessary.
Shayna Baszler has already main-evented a WWE "main roster" pay-per-view and won, pinning WWE SmackDown Champion Bayley to establish her dominance over her counterparts on the red and blue brands.
However, the story leading into the pay-per-view was almost entirely Shayna Baszler vs Becky Lynch, and it didn't only miss out on a conclusion when Bayley took the pinfall, but instead progressed post-match as Becky Lynch assaulted Baszler to close out the pay-per-view.
If WWE decide to strap the rocket to Baszler now, we could see long-term storytelling at its finest.
Shayna Baszler enters the Women's Royal Rumble and wins - not something outwith the realms of possibility for one of the most dominant women in WWE history - only to challenge Becky Lynch at WrestleMania and close the book on a rivalry that never quite reached its conclusion.
And not only that, if Ronda Rousey were to return, the possibilities are endless for how this chapter ends, and how the next one begins...