As RAW Women's Champion, Bianca Belair is one of WWE's biggest performers. One star she believes should get the same level of praise as her is Shayna Baszler.
Arriving in WWE in 2017, Baszler performed for the company's third brand, NXT, and had a dominant run as women's champion for 416 days. However, since transitioning to the main roster in 2020, she has seemingly been unable to reach the same heights of success.
During a recent interview on The Masked Man Show, Belair explained why she holds Shayna Baszler in such high regard.
"I learned a whole lot from Shayna (…) [She’s] like a complete package. She brings the physical part. She’s great on the mic. She’s great with personality. Honestly, my mama, one of her favorites is Shayna Baszler. She loves Shayna (…) I learned a lot from her just being in the ring with her (…) That match was very important for me to build the confidence of, like, no, you belong here." [H/T Wrestling Headlines]
Belair and Baszler have only faced off once in a singles match during their WWE careers. They locked horns at NXT Takeover Phoenix in 2019, with the former MMA fighter emerging victorious.
Current champion wants to face Bianca Belair at WrestleMania
Like Belair, Rhea Ripley is another performer who has established herself at the top of the card. She recently picked up one of the biggest wins of her career at WrestleMania 39. The Eradicator defeated Charlotte Flair to become the new SmackDown Women's Champion.
On a recent edition of The Ringer Wrestling Show, Rhea Ripley said that she and Bianca Belair would inevitably clash on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
"Whether that’s WrestleMania 40, WrestleMania 41, WrestleMania 42, I don’t know when that’s gonna happen, but it’s gonna be a WrestleMania match, and it’s gonna steal the show, and it will be the main event of one of the nights of WrestleMania. We’ll see when it happens," said Ripley. [H/T POST Wrestling]
Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca BelAir.
— Pro Wrestling Finesse (@ProWFinesse) April 10, 2023
WrestleMania 40. pic.twitter.com/uqv9U9DVA3
From arriving in NXT at similar points in their careers to capturing their first main roster titles at WrestleMania 37, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley's WWE journeys have almost mirrored one another.