WWE released Shayna Baszler while still under contract

Shayna Baszler has spoken publicly for the first time since her WWE departure, revealing that she still had three years left on her contract following a recent renewal when she was informed of her release. The former NXT Champion explained the situation during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, where she reflected on the end of her eight-year run with the company.

“I had like three more years… I was released. I had signed an extension not long ago. I wish it had run its natural course, but I was let go… It’s never a good feeling, but it wasn’t unexpected,” she said. You can watch her interview below.

Her last match in WWE took place in April 2025 as part of the Pure Fusion Collective stable. Following Sonya Deville’s exit in February, Baszler began to suspect the group was in jeopardy. “We were trying to pitch stories and ideas, doing things on our own on social media… Nothing was clicking with the creative team. It’s a tough blow, but I pretty much knew where we stood,” she added.

Talks with AEW and future plans

During the interview, Baszler did not rule out joining All Elite Wrestling and confirmed that conversations have already taken place, partly thanks to her friendship with several wrestlers in the company, including her fellow MMA Four Horsewomen member Marina Shafir.

“It’s no secret, I’m very good friends with Marina, I have a lot of friends there. So there have been discussions about what the future might hold, for sure,” she said. “I don’t care so much about what letters are behind it, I just want to do my craft. And if I can do it alongside my friends, that’s always a great place to be. So I’m not going to give a flat-out no to any of that.”

Baszler also clarified that she has not worked as a producer in NXT after her departure, as had been speculated. She explained that she was simply at the Performance Center helping friends with submission training and took the opportunity to listen through the production headsets, a learning technique Bryan Danielson had recommended to her.

The wrestler confirmed that her WWE release took place in July and that her 90-day non-compete clause will expire in October, at which point “The Queen of Spades” will be free to sign with another company.