WWE News: Mae Young Classic finalist officially joins the WWE Performance Center

What's the story?

WWE.com has announced that Mae Young Classic finalist Shayna Baszler has reported for duty at the WWE Performance Center. The former UFC fighter reportedly began training at the facility earlier last week.

In case you didn't know...

Before making the transition to professional wrestling, Shayna Baszler made her name in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world. A Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist, Baszler is thought to be the only female catch wrestler in the United States of America, so a transition into the pro graps world was somewhat inevitable after her second UFC loss in 2015.

Baszler made her pro wrestling debut by accompanying reDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish) to the ring at Ring of Honor's 13th Anniversary Show, making her competitive debut some six months later.

After working for Stardom and other promotions, Baszler took part in a WWE tryout in September 2016, which led to her participation in the inaugural Mae Young Classic. "The Queen of Spades" made it all the way to the final, before losing to Kairi Sane.

The heart of the matter

Baszler is expected to make a big splash in NXT, and WWE's coverage of her PC arrival comes as no surprise. The article is accompanied by an interview with the star, continuing to show the heel tendencies displayed throughout the Mae Young Classic.

"I'm looking forward to getting out there and twisting limbs off and breaking bodies. I can't wait."

Baszler went on to talk about her goals for the future and her commitment to professional wrestling, which she sees as the next step in her progression to becoming the ultimate combat athlete.

"I wanted to start at the beginning and show that I'm willing to start at the bottom and prove myself and work my way up, so there's no excuse when I get here and I'm breaking these girls in half."

What's next?

Baszler will likely train at the Performance Center for the foreseeable future, before eventually making the move to NXT and the main roster.

Her run to the finals of the Mae Young Classic suggests that WWE may well have big plans for her further down the road.

Author's take

Whilst "The Queen of Spades" has only just reported for duty at the WWE Performance Center, something tells me she may well find herself on NXT sooner rather than later. The NXT Women's Championship is currently vacant, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see the heel Baszler worm her way into the title match at NXT TakeOver: Houston.