As a former UFC fighter, Shayna Baszler is renowned for her legitimacy as an in-ring competitor.
In an interview with BT Sport, Baszler explained why she considers this trait a beneficial part of her identity as a wrestler. She stated that her MMA background somewhat gives her an advantage because it makes her strikes more convincing, among other positive results.
“I think I take [my legitimacy] as a complete blessing because it’s a rare trait, and there’s wrestlers that work for 20 years to try to get the legitimacy to believe that one kick is going to end a match, you know?” said Baszler. “And I don’t want to say I didn’t work that long, but I just worked in a different vein. I worked for almost 20 years in MMA in order to have that legitimacy, but I definitely think there’s something to be said about the familiarity of, you talk about a mixed martial arts fight, it looks very similar.
“I know exactly what it feels like to stand behind a curtain while someone else’s music is playing them on the way to a ring or a cage. And we have full intent to do damage to each other. I know exactly what that feels like. I know what it looks like. There is nothing about me that is faking it when I walk through those curtains because I know exactly what it is.”
It’s fair to say that UFC fighters don’t usually jump off the top of the cage, so Baszler’s lack of high-flying offense is perfectly reasonable. In the interview, the former NXT Women’s Champion pointed toward a Batman quote about why she doesn’t fly; she can, but she chooses not to.
“I don’t jump off the top turnbuckle often and run and fly around,” said Baszler. “And it’s not that I can’t do that stuff. It’s that I don’t need to do that stuff. There’s a Batman comic where he talks about the reason he didn’t fly; [it’s] because he doesn’t have to. I was like, man that is such a good quote because I don’t fly because I don’t have to, not because I can’t.
“In this business especially, it’s important to have something that makes you stand out, and I’m very aware that the legitimacy that I bring, and Ronda [brings], that’s something that makes us stand out.”
We could listen to @QoSBaszler talk wrestling for hours…
She talked about the legitimacy she brings to WWE:
"Batman said the reason he doesn't fly is because he doesn't have to, and that's such a good quote, I don't fly because I don't have to, not because I can't." pic.twitter.com/wfAzvMTVfM
— WWE on BT Sport (@btsportwwe) July 5, 2021
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