Friends No More: Booking Shayna Baszler versus Ronda Rousey

Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey have a history that can be leveraged into a captivating storyline by WWE Creative.

Storytelling has a prominent place in professional wrestling. While spectacular flips and all out brawls get fans out of their seats and talking, these moments are even better when they come together as a part of a strong story. With story being the top factor, it will be interesting to see how WWE Creative books Shayna Bazler when she reaches the main roster. There’s already one prominent story there to be told and that’s through her relationship with Ronda Rousey – one that could become a captivating story if told right.

For the WWE fans that are familiar with Rousey’s UFC run, they are aware that she served as one of the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter Season 18. It would be there that Baszler was selected by Rousey to be a part of Team Rousey – placing Ronda at the top as her coach. Now, this may not seem like much – especially seeing how Rousey was the UFC bantamweight champion at the time – but looking at their résumés in the sport shows much more.

By the time Ronda Rousey joined the world of MMA in 2010, Shayna Baszler had already dedicated seven years to fighting as a professional. She was competing on the women’s MMA scene at a time when the idea of ladies competing in the cage wasn’t as welcome as it is today. To many, Baszler is regarded as one of the pioneers of women’s MMA and a leader in its early development. However, Rousey is the “legend” that helped propel the sport to level it’s out today. In fact, many believe that had she not come around, UFC President Dana White would not have changed his mind about women fighting in the UFC. Still, TUF 18 slotted Baszler as the “pupil” and Rousey as the “teacher” in what was a very popular season.

Then fast forward to their time in WWE. Rousey was immediately vaulted up to the main roster; snatching away a main event slot from all of the other women on the roster. Baszler, on the other hand, is building her way up through NXT, where she is the NXT Women’s Champion. Before that, she would cut her teeth in organizations such as Rise, SHIMMER, SHINE and WrestleCon. While Rousey has impressed many with her few matches, Baszler has been the athlete honing her craft in a way that could be considered more respected in the sport.

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All this history segues right into a potential storyline between the two women. Baszler approaches Rousey as a friend, just to turn on and confront her for “stealing her spotlight.” Baszler’s anger and animosity toward Rousey’s perceived “gifted” success is a story that could be created based on the divergent paths both women took in the same two industries.

Plus, Rousey is being booked as a killer with a skill set that no other women on the roster can deal with. Why not book Baszler as the women with the abilities to do so as she has a more robust MMA résumé than that of the Rowdy One?

The question turns to the outcome. Rousey is clearly the biggest star on the roster, regardless of gender. Many do not expect her to lose a match until 2019 if and when she’s paired against Charlotte at WrestleMania. That means that Baszler may be facing the serious situation of being booked into a loss for her first feud coming up from NXT. To many, that can be a momentum killer and that’s an understandable concern.

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However, WWE Creative has been able to make captivating storylines in the past and this is a challenge that the group should be intrigued to face. Ronda Rousey is a powerhouse that elevates any women associated with her. This storyline helps draw in those from both spaces as Baszler and Rousey have a real history that can be leveraged. At the end of the day, storytelling is needed in professional wrestling and this is one way to create an important story featuring the women at the top of the docket.

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