The Jan. 10 episode of NXT opened with one of the brand’s most highly anticipated television debuts. Mae Young Classic runner-up Shayna Baszler made her first television foray in the an NXT ring.
“The Queen of Spades” made short work of fellow Mae Young Classic alumna Dakota Kai in the opening bout of the episode.
A little over 60 seconds into the match, Baszler delivered a devastating stomp to Kai’s arm, resulting in the referee stopping the match.
But Baszler was not finished with her fallen foe. As officials went to check on Kai, The Queen of Spades snapped on a Kirifuda Clutch to add insult to injury to her opponent. NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon came out and made the save, but Baszler was unfazed and went to the back.
Baszler’s quick performance against Kai in the ring was only the tip of the iceberg in her time in NXT. Fans were provided samples of her upcoming debut through vignettes, as well as her first NXT appearance where she choked out Kairi Sane on stage – when the Pirate Princess was going to seemingly challenge Moon for the NXT women’s championship. There were also videos of her at the WWE Performance Center, asserting her dominance to the other trainees.
What is intriguing about Baszler’s actions on this episode of NXT, and the last couple of weeks as well, is she isn’t grabbing the microphone and shouting, “I used to be in MMA and I’m a member of the Four Horsewomen.”
Fans know of her mixed martial arts background and her catch wrestling experience but she’s not on a pedestal boosting about those abilities when she comes to the ring. She doesn’t need, partly because the commentary team of Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson and Nigel McGuinness are doing it for her, which is what great broadcasters do – put over the talent.
There was also the backstage segment where General Manager William Regal confronted her about her motives and said her blatant attacks won’t get her close to the NXT women’s title, she just answered “Are we done?”
Baszler’s attitude shows she doesn’t care about the proper road to the championship. She will get there on her own terms.
However, her interaction with Regal on her first episode of NXT, as well as the videos, shows the brand is building her to be a big player in the women’s division.
The Submission Magician – as Ranallo likes to call her – has the tools to be a big star in NXT. She has great offense – with her catch wrestling and MMA backgrounds – and can generate a lot of heat.
I also suspect she has a lot of material and feelings she can muster up that will add fuel to her promos – such as her rough beginnings in MMA, her transition to professional wrestling and how MMA fans have blasted her for her association with Ronda Rousey. I’m sure there are folks from the mixed martial arts community who criticized her for competing in WWE.
Yet Baszler has spent the last couple of years building her professional wrestling resume and gaining a popular fan base, which I think will continue to grow during her time in NXT.
She also has the opportunity to be a great foil for wrestlers like Moon and Sane. Both wrestlers are good babyfaces who need a strong heel like Baszler to chase and fend off in order to make them look stronger – assuming she lets them get in their offense.
Baszler is a great addition to the NXT roster and I’m excited to see how the latest chapter of her professional wrestling career unfolds.
NXT Vengeance Day was a rousing success for WWE on Saturday which saw a number of headlines come out of the event that was well-received by fans, including an injury suffered by Donovan Dijak during his match with Wes Lee for the North American Championship.
Dijak suffered an apparent broken finger during the match, which was seen on camera and shared on social media.
Following the event NXT general manager Shawn Michaels provided an update on Dijak, stating he did not suffer a broken finger – “Yeah, everybody is good” Michaels said. “I announced it at gorilla, it’s got to be a miracle, It’s not broken.
“We got him x-ray, they said it’s not broken and so yeah, I guess what you do is you kind of numb it and put it back in place and that’s what’s happening now. But it is, again, a modern miracle because we all saw it, it was pretty gnarly looking. But, apparently, he’s going to be okay, which is obviously fantastic news for us and him.”
William Regal has made his return to WWE following his brief stint with AEW and now has a new title that is much different than what he had prior to his release from WWE during budget cuts last year.
Regal was Director of Talent Development and Head of Global Recruiting prior to his release. Regal was also the former General Manager for NXT and also had an on-screen role before he made his way to AEW.
According to PWInsider, Regal is now the Vice President, Global Talent Development for WWE.
Ahead of his return to WWE and amid his exit from AEW, Regal issued the following on social media:
“Yesterday was my last official day with @AEW. I’d like to thank @TonyKhan, Megha and all the hard working crew. Contrary to people who’ve never spoken to me or have their information from people who don’t know me or are trying to make themselves noticed, I had a lovely time working there and had a great time. Lots of talented Wrestlers, and lovely people to work for. To my fellow BCC members, it was a special, albeit brief few months but it cemented our already strong friendship. To everyone there, thank you for welcoming me. Best wishes.”
Former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Karl Fredericks has officially signed with WWE following the conclusion of his four-year tenure with NJPW. Fredericks announced on social media back in summer 2022 that he would not re-sign with NJPW.
Fredericks was initially linked to WWE last September, when he was reportedly spotted at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
According to PW Insider, Fredericks has officially signed with WWE and will be a part of the NXT brand initially.
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