Shayna Baszler recently spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated for an in-depth interview covering all things pro wrestling.
During her discussion with the popular sports media outlet, "The Queen of Spades" spoke about teaming with Nia Jax, her match with Alexa Bliss at the recent WWE Hell In A Cell pay-per-view and her old-school roots in pro wrestling with Josh Barnett and Billy Robinson.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview where she touches on these topics and more.
On how things have been on the indies, WWE NXT and eventually the WWE main roster after coming from an old-school wrestling tradition: “It’s always been a constant juggling act, and that’s not just on Raw. That’s also [been the case in] my time in NXT and the indies. I come from a very old-school professional wrestling tradition. Josh Barnett and Billy Robinson were my main coaches, and they’re really, really old-school. Back in Billy’s day, the wrestling mentality was that you weren’t going to beat someone in the ring until people believed you could beat them out on the street. It was a very different mindset, and that’s just not how professional wrestling is presented today. It’s been a juggling act to stay true to my martial lineage in professional wrestling, that style I bring where people believe what I do. It’s two-sided. It’s special. There are wrestlers that work for 20 years to build that legitimacy in the eyes of the fans, and I have it when I come through the curtain. It’s also a curse. Not everyone on the roster knows how to deal with that style and mindset.”
On always having Billy Robinson in mind when she steps into the ring: “I always think about Billy when I get in the ring. After he passed away [in 2014], I remember Josh saying, ‘At the end of the day, if Billy would look at it and nod his head, then you’re doing fine.’ I hope Billy would be understanding that I’m trying to do this balancing act between my old-school, pure wrestling style and the way it’s presented on TV today.”
On the match with Alexa Bliss at Hell In A Cell showing she can cover a wide range of modern day pro wrestling: “I need to show that I can be counted on to nail whatever it is I’m being asked to do. It’s easy to be a badass tyrant like I was in NXT. I can totally fit that role. After establishing myself as that, it’s important to show I can cover a wide range of what professional wrestling is today. It’s like music. Some people like country, some like heavy metal. Not everything is for everyone, so I understand why some people roll their eyes when I do comedy. But I’m established as what I am. All it takes is one sentence from a promo delivered properly. I am a legitimate badass; that’s always there for me. I’m glad I can be on Raw and show a wider range.”
On her tag-team with Nia Jax: "Teaming with Nia has helped me expand my pro wrestling repertoire. Obviously coming from a fighting background, we don’t do tag teams in MMA. It’s not something I spent a lot of time concentrating on. But it’s a craft and so much more in-depth than people realize. It’s a great sort of Rubik’s cube to solve, and I love solving those puzzles. Nia’s also been a big help for me behind the scenes."
Check out the complete interview at SI.com.
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