Is Shayna Baszler back with WWE?
Cory Hays of Bodyslam first reported that the former NXT Women’s Champion was listed as a producer for the Kelani Jordan vs. Lainey Reid match on last night’s episode of NXT.
According to Fightful Sean Ross Sapp, she was listed alongside Chris Girard. Usually, producers shadow veteran producers while training.
Shayna Baszler was surprisingly one of the names released during the wave of cuts on May 2, 2025. Based on her reaction, it didn’t seem like the end for the former NXT Women’s Champion.
Baszler would’ve surely made a great fit in AEW or TNA. However, she is 44, so perhaps Baszler is looking to wind down her career and settle for a backstage role. Now it’s never stated that Baszler has been re-signed to WWE. The company has had plenty of guest producers in the past and this could be a one and done situation.
Prior to her release, Shyna Baszler was with WWE for nearly a decade. She started out in NXT and dominated out of the gate. She advanced into the finals of the Mae Young Classic, but was beaten by Kairi Sane. Still, Baszler got a full time contract offer and she made her official NXT debut on December 27, 2017. It took Baszler less than four months to capture the NXT Women’s Championship, beating Ember Moon (Athena) at TakeOver: New Orleans.
Throughout her NXT career, Baszler won the title twice and held it for more than 500 days combined. Big things seemed to be on the horizon for Baszler on the main roster, especially since she made her debut in 2019 by beating both Bayley and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match at Survivor Series.
Fast forward to Elimination Chamber the following year and Baszler destroyed her competitors in the number one contenders match. Unfortunately, Baszler ended up failing to beat Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36, and she’s pretty much been stuck in the mid card ever since. She’s won the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles three times, but Baszler hasn’t particularly done much of note since her shocking loss to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36. Even her match against Ronda Rousey was heavily criticized because fans didn’t like the incorporation of MMA.
It’s a shame that WWE lost interest in putting Baszler over as a top star. But it wouldn’t be surprising if she became a producer as she’s a really good wrestler who can teach the up and coming stars down in NXT.