WWE: Who should be called up from NXT after SummerSlam?

Shayna Baszler

While Ronda Rousey stole the headlines in 2018 for her near-seamless transition the octagon to the squared circle, her MMA Four Horsewomen pal Shayna Baszler showed everyone who tuned into NXT every Wednesday that she was the more complete performer.

Sure, it helped that Baszler refined her skills in promotions like Shimmer and Stardom for a couple of years, but from the moment she debuted at the inaugural Mae Young Classic, her potential as a top heel was undeniable.

Fast forward to 2019, Baszler has lived to that promise. With her domineering aura and her affinity for twisting opponents’ appendages, “The Queen of Spades” has presided over the NXT Women’s division for the better part of two years now as one of the best heels in wrestling, let alone the best one in any of WWE’s women’s divisions.

That said, it’s time for Baszler to apply those skills to the main roster, where every antagonist not named Charlotte Flair lacks the in-ring credibility to go back-and-forth with the likes of Becky Lynch or Bayley.

At age 39, any additional time Baszler spends down in NXT chips away at her chances to participate in marquee matches on WWE’s bigger shows — though her ground-based wrestling style will give her a longer shelf life. She has done all she can in NXT; it’s time for her to put someone — maybe Mia Yim at TakeOver: Toronto — and find some new ladies to torment on either RAW or SmackDown.