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SHAYNA BASZLER DISCUSSES THE NXT MOVE TO THE USA NETWORK, THE CHANGE IN THE SCHEDULE, NXT TITLE BOUTS ON WRESTLEMANIA CARDS, MMA VS. WWE PREPARATION MENTALLY AND MORE

By Mike Johnson on 2019-10-11 11:33:00

The following interview was conducted 10/2 at the WWE Performance Center.

Mike Johnson: Hey, everybody, Mike Johnson here with the NXT Women's Champion, Shayna Baszler. You've come a long way, a big match tonight with Candice LeRae, live two hours on the U.S.A. Network, long way from the days of working in Cleveland for Chandler Biggins, who I miss, a great person.

Shayna Baszler: Yeah, we all do.

Mike Johnson: Reflect on this. What does this mean to you? You've been in big fight situations before, inside pro wrestling and outside in MMA, but what's the vibe for you like? How do you feel compared to a big fight or a big Takeover? What's the moment like right now?

Shayna Baszler:The energy is obviously high but I would call it more excitement than anything because we're doing what we've always done. It's not like suddenly there's TV and suddenly we're going to put on great matches. We've done that since the beginning and I think we're all excited that now the world gets to see it. It's a really great time. As far as myself, it's crazy to think that I have my whole career, and I'm talking from MMA even, I've been thrust into these positions before I felt ready. I don't know if anyone ever feels ready, I guess. I can't speak for anyone else about how nervous they might feel, but I'm glad that I have felt this before, because it's familiar rather than unnerving, so it's-

Mike Johnson: Is it a good familiar?

Shayna Baszler: It's a great familiar. When I knew that I needed to take a break from MMA was when I didn't get nervous anymore and so I've learned to accept it as a comforting feeling almost. That sounds almost oxymoronic to say that being nervous is comforting, but it's good to know because I know that I'll deliver when I feel that way.

Mike Johnson: No, and I know what you mean because if you're not nervous, there's a chance you might be complacent because you're taking things for granted.

Shayna Baszler: Exactly.

Mike Johnson: One thing we can't take for granted is that you've been the cornerstone of the Women's Division in NXT for some time. Talk about your excitement to have that division seen on a much larger scale.

Shayna Baszler: I think NXT has always placed big emphasis on the Women's Division and being a part of that legacy as the two-time champion is a huge honor. I think I would put the NXT Women's locker room up against any other locker room in the world and we're going to deliver. We're going to outperform and we're going to do everything. That being said, I'm the top of this division so the world gets to see it now and it's exciting.

Mike Johnson: The narrative amongst a lot of fans has always been when is somebody going to come from NXT to the main roster? It's a question we've gotten about you a lot in the last year because you've been in such a prominent position in the company and there's always an assumption, "All right, when the title reign ends, the next step is this." The whole world has changed now. The Rubik's Cube is completely discombobulated. For you as a competitor, when you have goals of I want to be a certain place at a certain time, or I want to make so much money, or I want to be at this level of success, how does all this news and all this changing of the landscape affect your personal goals and what you want for your career?

Shayna Baszler: First of all, any roster I'm on is the main roster, I think-

Mike Johnson: There you go.

Shayna Baszler: ... but I think this is more of a lateral move now. I don't think it should be called a call-up anymore. It's definitely a lateral move and I think, with everything that's happened, we don't have to think like, "Wow, I want to go there in order to have my WrestleMania moment." I think it's conceivable now that, as the NXT Woman's Champion, I can show up and win money in the bank. Or, as the NXT Woman's Champion, I can go have a WrestleMania moment. That's more realistic now than it ever has been. I think it's less a thing about what my dreams were before. They're actually even more achievable now. I'm just being the best and that's the goal. Everything else kind of just takes care of itself.


Mike Johnson: There was a moment on the debut episode on the USA Network a couple of weeks ago where you had to face off with Candice and it felt very old-school pro wrestling, also big fight feel for boxing or MMA. You've been in those situations before. Talk a little bit about what you've learned from being in MMA, either being cageside or in big fights and bringing that aspect and that feel to what you... I don't want to say perform, but how you portray yourself on WWE Television.

Shayna Baszler:I think that when I was in MMA, I wasn't fighting for the purpose of pro wrestling. I was truly fighting behind that curtain to be the best fighter I could possibly be. Just like anybody that does that, I wanted to be the best. I think if I had done MMA for the purpose of pro wrestling that wouldn't have felt the same. You know what I mean? Not that I wouldn't have wanted to win, but I think my heart would have been in it differently.  I think because I was in MMA to be... I was behind the curtain in order to step out and beat someone up and they thought they were better and I'm going to prove I'm better. I know exactly what that feels like. So, I know exactly what that feels like when I'm behind the curtain at a Takeover ready to come out, or behind the curtain on TV tonight. It feels exactly the same to me because it's familiar. My body is behind a curtain going, "Oh, this again," and it's been the same thing I've done for 16 years. I guess I got lucky in that way that the path led here in the way that it did or I wouldn't be who I am.

Mike Johnson: When you look at the two hour show tonight and every week thereafter, how's that change your mental preparation in comparison to going to TV, taping a couple of episodes, then going on the road?

Shayna Baszler: I think it's almost, in some ways... Everyone's looking at it like, "Oh man, the schedule's so much busier," but I think in some ways it's better. I don't think people understood how hard it was sometimes to wrestle a match on the first hour and then in the taping for the fourth episode I have to come out as though this and this and this had happened. The crowd's tired because they've been there for hours now, and we're tired because I wrestled twice and did two backstage promos or something. Now we can come out here with full energy and know that that's what we have to do. Obviously, our deload time has to be different. We can't just let the pressure valve off all at once. We have to choose our times to decompress and find little ways to let a little bit off at a time. NXT's main purpose when it was formed was to prepare us for TV and travel and all that stuff. I think we're a lot more prepared than people realize, I think, for this stuff.

Mike Johnson: What's the most exciting thing that... let me rephrase that. What are you most excited for for the others who are part of this roster? Obviously, you have personal goals, but you've also been part of this fraternity for some time. You've traveled with these people, you've worked with these people, you've been through highs and lows with them, stuff that we've seen on camera and, obviously, private things. What's your hope for everybody else on the roster?

Shayna Baszler: I said this before, I think, you can go back and see from the beginning. NXT, we've put our heart and souls into that ring. Every single person in here, from the newest guys that you don't see in here falling on their heads every day all day long, or us in the ring on TV, we've put our bodies on the line and heart and soul, like I said. I think I am excited now that everyone gets to see it and the recognition for that, the appreciation that everyone will get. People will see why, when it wasn't as readily available as the USA Network, everyone was still talking about it.

Mike Johnson: Alright, so let's make a prediction and maybe in a year or so we can come back and revisit this. Do you think NXT titles will be defended at WrestleMania, SummerSlam, major events like that going forward? You love wrestling, you were a fan before you even started doing this. Do you think it will happen or do you feel like keeping things quarantined on Takeover keeps them special and unique and fresh?

Shayna Baszler: I think there's obviously avenue now to have that. I think we're at just the beginning of seeing things sprinkle across the lines here. It can only get bigger, so I'm not going to say no, that's not going to happen or it shouldn't happen. I want that to happen. I want to keep this title forever and I want to go win Money In the Bank and have a title match there and have all the titles.

Mike Johnson: Have a Shayna Baszler Classic!

Shayna Baszler: Yeah, exactly.

Mike Johnson: All right, well, I thank you for the time. I wish you nothing but the best. We'll see you down the road and appreciate it. Enjoy the moment.

Shayna Baszler: Yeah, thank you.

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