Shayna Baszler isn’t just passing through TNA after winning championship gold at Bound For Glory. The former WWE star has now confirmed that she signed with the company, and she says she was so confident about winning the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Titles that she signed knowing she’d need to stick around and defend them.
Speaking to Denise Salcedo on October 22, Baszler was asked whether she planned on staying with TNA following her championship victory alongside Zoey Serrano. Baszler confirmed the signing and made it clear she expects to be around for a while.
“I mean, yeah, that’s what being a champion means, right? And the funny part about it is, we were so confident of the win that, yeah, I signed with TNA knowing we were going to win those titles and that I’d have to be around to put those on the line and beat up anyone that tries to come near them.”
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Serrano aren’t planning on playing it safe with the titles either. She wants to defend them against basically anyone willing to step up, whether that’s inside TNA or somewhere else.
“So, for the time being, that’s what’s going to happen. You should be seeing lots of broken limbs. We want to defend against everyone all over the place. So, we will carry these into wherever and invite anyone that wants to come in as well.”
Baszler also explained why she decided to sign with TNA at this point in her career. She had been spending time coaching and producing at WWE NXT and EVOLVE, and she admitted that helping younger wrestlers develop had become something she genuinely loved.
“Well, there has been some thought because, you know, word got out somehow. I’ve been coaching, producing part-time at NXT and Evolve and all that. And that is something that I found that I have fallen in love with, watching these young athletes grow and learn to love pro wrestling and seeing that.”
Her path to TNA also came through her friendship with Serrano. Baszler joked that when a friend asks for help beating somebody up, the questions can wait until afterwards.
“But, you know, number one, if a friend calls you to help beat someone up, you help them beat someone up and then ask them why after that. That’s a Ronda Rousey thing. So when Zoey calls me, like, okay, yeah, I’ll beat someone up if you need me to help you beat someone up.”
The bigger turning point came from Baszler’s Bloodsport match against Natalya. Afterwards, Nattie reminded her that they could still perform at a high level, and Baszler said that made something click for her about how much she still has left.
“But I think, honestly, that match I had with Nattie at Bloodsport, she grabbed me afterwards and was like, ‘This is what I want people to know. We can still go.’ And it’s like, yeah, wait a second. Yeah, I can still go. And there’s still no one that can do the things I do the way that I do it.”
Baszler isn’t ready to move completely into the coaching side of wrestling just yet. She still feels she has something unique to offer inside the ring, and until she’s satisfied someone else can carry that style forward, the itch to compete isn’t going away.
“And I think until I’m satisfied that that banner can be carried, I think I’ll always have this itch to spread the gospel of legitimacy. So I think TNA is the perfect place for me right now.”
Baszler and Serrano defeated Allie and Kiera Hogan for the TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships at Bound For Glory on October 11. Baszler ultimately choked Allie out to secure the titles, but until now, it wasn’t clear exactly what her long-term status with the company looked like.
Now there’s no mystery about whether Baszler’s TNA run was just a short-term appearance. She’s officially signed, she’s holding championship gold, and she believes she still has plenty left to prove before she’s ready to leave the ring behind for coaching.
What do you think about Shayna Baszler signing with TNA after realizing she still has plenty left in the tank? Let us know in the comments below.
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