Shayna Baszler has studied several wrestling styles to enhance herself as an in-ring competitor.
RAW Superstar Shayna Baszler recently sat down with WrestleZone’s Managing Editor, Bill Pritchard. When asked if she has any matches or influences that she studies from the Catch Wrestling Association era, Baszler said there’s nothing specific that comes to mind but enjoys studying a wrestling style that originated in Germany.
“I wouldn’t put my finger on anything specifically,” Shayna Baszler said. “Obviously, that style of work suits my style. I always like to say this in fighting, but it’s true in wrestling as well. That nothing is new. So, you’ll think someone created this new finisher or something, and then something will pop up from like the 50s or something that somebody was doing it.
“So one of my favorite things to do is tape study from back in the day, predates my lifetime. In tying that together with the kind of the first thing we were talking about, being excited to even go to Germany, I always get excited when I go to places that are going to be more familiar with my style of wrestling. One of the hardest parts, especially when I was first starting out, is that I have a style of wrestling that isn’t mass-exhibited, especially in the United States right now.
“So going to places like Germany, pretty much anywhere in Europe or like Japan, these type of places where they’re going to have a quicker understanding. And that’s not to say no one in the United States understands, and I’ve been doing it long enough that people get it now, but at least my stuff personally. That influence of that style very much, in general, influences things that I do.”
Andre the Giant hit a Pedigree!?
When a video was mentioned about Andre the Giant executing the Pedigree, Baszler said that kind of thing happens all the time in wrestling.
“That happens all the time,” Shayna Baszler said. “Obviously, with being so entrenched in the martial arts world, I joke like I’m a jiu-jitsu black belt, but I very heavily studied catch wrestling. And for people that don’t know this stuff, there’s kind of this rivalry between catch wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu about who taught who, what submissions, and all this stuff.
“You’ll find from like the 1920s in a judo book; some guy was demonstrating this stuff. The same stuff happens, and I think it’s just combat sports in general. When you talk about wrestling moves or fighting techniques or whatever, the body can only move so many certain ways, so stuff’s going to cycle like that. It’s super interesting to me, but I could go on about that stuff forever.”
You can check out our complete interview with Shayna Baszler in the embedded video below.
READ MORE: Shayna Baszler: Jade Cargill Brings Eyes To WWE, No One Should Complain About That
What do you make of Shayna Baszler’s comments? Do you appreciate the fact that Baszler stands out from most of her opponents on WWE RAW? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
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