Are we finally going to see a feud between Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler in WWE?
Just a few years ago, WWE seemed infatuated with signing mixed-martial artists.
Perhaps it was the success of Brock Lesnar, who made a terrific transition from the squared circle to the octagon before returning home to WWE.
The Beast Incarnate was already incorporating a lot of elements of shoot fighting into his combat style, so it only made sense that Vince McMahon would seek out other athletes of the same ilk.
WWE eventually signed four female fighters who already had a connection to pro wrestling
Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke, Shayna Baszler and UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey were known collectively as 'the Four Horsewomen of MMA' and would flash a four-finger salute. It was a nod to the professional wrestling faction headed by The Nature Boy Ric Flair. It was also a purposeful wink towards a group of pro wrestlers who were already competing under the WWE banner.
Flair's daughter Charlotte, along with Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley, had already formed an informal faction known as The Four Horsewomen, so there was already a natural rivalry there. Many fans and observers braced for an all-out war at some point between the two coalitions.
WWE Teased in their "10 things we want to happen in 2019" The Four Horsewomen vs The MMA Four Horsewomen happening this year https://t.co/YKy005TmHf
However, the two sides never had a feud, and they all basically went their separate ways. Today, Shafir competes in AEW, and Sasha Banks has been indefinitely suspended.
Meanwhile, Shayna Baszler went on to become possibly the most dominant women's champion ever in NXT, with two separate title reigns.
For her part, Ronda Rousey made history by headlining WrestleMania with Flair and Lynch. She and Baszler have crossed paths here and there on the main roster, but have never engaged with one another in any truly dramatic fashion.
It was beginning to look like never the 'twain shall they meet, but recent events may have changed all that. The two SmackDown performers competed against each other in an impromptu match this past week, as Rousey teamed up with Raquel Rodriguez to take on Baszler and Natalya.
Late in the contest, The Rowdy One and The Queen of Spades finally bumped up against one another, and had a classic staredown. While some quick interference broke things up before the two could lock horns, you almost felt like this was a hint of things to come.
The WWE Universe let out an excited gasp when the two squared up
For the fan base, they can only hope this subtle moment is a harbinger of things to come. While Rousey may be the current SmackDown Women's Champion, she's been a bit stale in this current run. Baszler, as well, could use something to put a little fire under her to get some of her heat back.
A potential feud would be a win-win for both grapplers, regardless of who comes out on top in the end. With the right hype, this could be one of the biggest championship showdowns of the year.
However, if this situation unfolds, the true winners will be the audience.
These two performers know how to tell a story in the ring and incorporate their combat sports training to add to the realism of the match. On top of that, their built-in storyline makes this a slam dunk and an angle we should get to see over the course of the summer.