Shayna Baszler gives update on WWE status
Shayna Baszler is no longer officially with WWE, but she still has a great relationship with the company and could potentially return with a full-time role working backstage in NXT.
Since her release from WWE in May, Baszler has stayed busy by taking indie dates and holding seminars. She also has made regular visits to NXT to guest coach and shadow producers. Whenever she’s not on the road, Baszler is at the WWE Performance Center helping out younger talent.
“Strangely enough, I feel like I’m busier and away from home more than I was before, just by the nature of taking every available opportunity there is to just do everything that I want to do,” she said on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet. “I’m still taking indie dates and doing stuff like that. I’ve been doing a lot of guest coaching and shadowing producing at NXT. So, pretty much, if I’m not on the road, I’m helping out there, if I can.
“I’m not like officially hired, but I have a good relationship with them. So, you know, I’m officially guest coaching when I can or when the opportunity comes.”
Baszler said she likes this behind-the-scenes position a lot more than she thought she would — and she would like for it to become a full-time role.
“I’m hoping,” Baszler responded when asked if this could become a full-time job. “If I don’t suck too bad at the guest part of it, then…”
Baszler had already been been helping out in this capacity before her WWE release. Admittedly, she was a little “salty” when asked if she would like to continue doing it during her 90-day no compete clause. But Baszler has found the role to be very rewarding.
“I got emotionally invested in the athletes that are there that I’m working with,” she said. “Some of the girls, even some of the guys, like, seeing their growth and seeing collaboration ideas. I’ve been a talent, right? So I know how to go from creative to the talent and kind of bridge the gap of what creative is looking for and what the talent wants to do.
“I don’t know, I got emotionally invested in everything. So they kind of got me coming back. But, yeah, it’s been a lot more rewarding. I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, to be honest.”
Baszler said WWE has been very supportive of her continuing to wrestle on the indies while guest coaching. There have been no ultimatums so far. She wouldn’t be against working more WWE matches if they asked. But at this stage of her in-ring career, Baszler isn’t too concerned with personal accomplishments. She’s more interested in whetting her creative appetite and helping to keep her style of wrestling alive.
The 45-year-old Baszler is a former NXT Women’s Champion and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion. Along with helping behind the scenes, Baszler made an on-camera appearance at NXT Homecoming this September.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.