Shayna Baszler

The Four Horsewomen of MMA are already making a significant impact in WWE. Ronda Rousey catapulted to instant stardom with her two incredible debut matches. Shayna Baszler has a literal stranglehold over the NXT women’s division, running roughshod and choking out anyone who comes in her path. The remaining two women, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke reported to the Performance Center a few months back to begin their WWE training. And now we have the third Horsewoman in WWE competition.

On Thursday, July 26th, Marina Shafir officially debuted at an NXT live event. The Moldovan former MMA star teamed up with Nikki Cross to take on Rhea Ripley and Aliyah.

https://twitter.com/FLWrestlingFan/status/1022641194638168064

A fan in attendance noted that a film crew captured the event. Shafir won her debut with a choke and afterward took her son out of the crowd and marched around the ring before heading to the back. The observer also noted that Shafir’s offense was similar to Rousey’s, utilizing a lot of judo and MMA-style holds and throws.

Who Is Marina Shafir?

Marina Shafir is a former MMA fighter with a 1-2 professional record and 4-0 amateur record. She along with Rousey, Baszler and Jessamyn Duke were all considered pioneering women in Mixed Martial Arts. Shafir trained under UFC legend and former heavyweight champion Josh Barnett. Barnett also trained Baszler and Duke. Like Rousey, Shafir is a highly-trained Judo practitioner. Shafir is engaged to NXT tag champion Roderick Strong. The two have a son named Troy.

The speculation is that the four will compete against the WWE “Four Horsewoman” (Becky Lynch, Bayley, Charlotte, and Sasha Banks) in a Survivor Series-style match either at the eponymous PPV or the Evolution PPV.  Though most likely, the three outside of Rousey will remain in WWE to sharpen their skills.

We will keep you posted on the Four Horsewoman’s time in NXT and WWE.

Mentioned in this article:

More About: