Confirmed: Shayna Baszler Signs With WWE

Just over a week removed from the live finale of the Mae Young Classic, it’s finally been confirmed that runner-up Shayna Baszler has signed a WWE contract.

Per Squared Circle Sirens, Baszler’s fellow Four Horsewoman Jessamyn Duke confirmed the news:

Baszler, who is the current AIW Women’s Champion has signed with WWE, as confirmed by fellow MMA Four Horsewoman Member, Jessamyn Duke on her twitch video gaming channel.

Is it just me, or is a random video gaming channel a really odd place to confirm a WWE signing? I’m wondering if maybe Duke let the news slip without having the 100% go-ahead from WWE. After all, as of this writing, WWE has yet to comment on Baszler’s signing, and until now there’d been little to no news about her status with the company.

Rumors Swirling

Rumors that Baszler had signed with WWE began circulating just before the live finale of the Mae Young Classic, and you can blame Triple H for the buzz.

At the time, the wording of that tweet sure sounded like Baszler had been signed. However, there was no confirmation anywhere that Baszler had inked a contract with WWE. Furthermore, whereas a search for Kairi Sane on WWE.com returned an official Superstar bio, there was no such page for Baszler – and there still isn’t. Her only “bio” on WWE.com is an article about her participation in the Mae Young Classic.

Circumstantial Evidence

Even before Duke’s bombshell reveal, however, it seemed likely that Baszler had signed a contract. Per a previous report from The Wrestling Observer, Baszler is not scheduled to appear at any upcoming independent events. Not only that, but she quietly made her NXT debut at a house show in St. Petersburg, Florida on Aug. 10, where she teamed up with Billie Kay and Peyton Royce to take on Aaliyah and fellow MYC competitors Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai.

While working an NXT event does not necessarily equal a contract (or at least not a full-time, exclusive contract), it seems Baszler might have been signed with WWE for far longer than anyone realized.

But now the question is: what’s next?

What’s Next For The Queen Of Spades?

Now that we know Baszler has for sure signed with WWE, it seems all the more likely that fans will get the rumored Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen showdown at Survivor Series on Nov. 19.

As for the other members of MMA’s Four Horsewomen, Duke has also been seen training inside the squared circle. But, crucially, Ronda Rousey has remained tight-lipped about any potential future in WWE.

Despite Rousey’s side-stepping, however, it seems obvious that this match will happen sometime in the near future. WWE has been dropping too many hints to not follow through on something this major.

Until that blockbuster match takes place, however, WWE has already set up a potential feud for Baszler in the meantime. During the quarterfinals of the Mae Young Classic, Baszler refused to break her submission hold on Candice LeRae after she’d already tapped out, and LeRae’s husband, NXT star Johnny Gargano, got involved. Rumor has it that WWE is interested in signing LeRae – and if they do, it would be a ready-made feud for the Queen of Spades.

If I’m being honest, at first I wasn’t too thrilled at the prospect of Baszler joining WWE. But they’ve done a smart job of building her up via the Mae Young Classic, and now I can genuinely say I’m excited to see what she has to offer.

Are you excited that Shayna Baszler has signed with WWE? What potential matches and feuds are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts and comments below!