Shayna Baszler may be collecting championship gold in TNA Wrestling, but that doesn’t mean she’s completely done with WWE. The former NXT Women’s Champion just revealed that she’s still on good terms with her former employer, and there’s a chance she could continue working behind the scenes even while competing for another promotion.
Baszler addressed the situation during a recent interview with Denice Salcedo, where she opened up about her coaching work with WWE following her departure in 2025. While her in-ring career has taken her to TNA, she admitted that helping younger wrestlers develop has become something she genuinely loves.
“There’s been some thought because word got out somehow. I’ve been coaching, producing part-time at NXT and Evolve and all that. That is something that I found that I have fallen in love with, watching these young athletes grow and learn to love pro wrestling.”
Baszler isn’t looking to give up wrestling just yet, though. She recently joined forces with Zoey Serrano in TNA, making her debut at Bound For Glory earlier this month. The move has given her another opportunity to compete, but she doesn’t believe it necessarily closes the door on her coaching responsibilities in WWE.
“TNA is the perfect place for me right now. Thankfully, there’s a good relationship so I can still coach when I’m available. I’m obviously not as available as I was, but that door I guess is still there.”
And when it comes to choosing between coaching and getting physical inside the ring, Baszler made it pretty clear where her priorities are right now. She figures she’ll have plenty of time to help younger talent when her wrestling days are behind her.
“I can coach when I need a cane and have to sit in a chair. Beating people up right now is what I’m able to do right now, and let’s just ride it till the wheels fall off.”
Things got even more interesting when Salcedo asked Baszler directly whether WWE would still allow her to coach if her TNA schedule permitted it. Rather than claiming she had some special arrangement worked out, Baszler gave a simple answer, saying, “Nobody’s told me no.”
Baszler also revealed that she didn’t just show up in TNA without considering how WWE might react. Before agreeing to work alongside Serrano, she actually reached out to people whose opinions mattered to her and made sure the move wouldn’t create problems.
“To be fair, I did ask people that mattered, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about helping Zoey out. Are there any issues with that?’ Nobody told me not to do it and that I wouldn’t be welcomed back.”
That doesn’t mean everything has been officially settled. Baszler acknowledged that her increased responsibilities in TNA could eventually force both sides to revisit how much time she can dedicate to WWE. However, she made it clear that maintaining a positive relationship with the company is important to her.
“Now again, there’s maybe some discussion to be had about my availability and all that, and we might have to revisit some of that at some point. I’m not someone that’s going to burn bridges either. I’m very thankful to WWE and everything they did for me and the platform they gave me.”
Baszler and Serrano captured the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships at Bound For Glory, giving Baszler a fresh start in the ring. What’s interesting is that she could potentially continue helping develop WWE’s next generation of talent while holding championship gold for another company.
For now, Baszler seems perfectly happy with where things stand. She’s getting to wrestle in TNA, she hasn’t ruled out returning to WWE’s Performance Center in a coaching role, and nobody from WWE has explicitly told her that door is closed. Whether that arrangement continues once her TNA schedule gets busier remains to be seen.
Do you think WWE should continue allowing Shayna Baszler to coach NXT and EVOLVE talent while she’s competing for TNA Wrestling? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
