The Four Horsewomen of the MMA world’s WWE takeover is nearly upon us.
While Shayna Baszler was blitzing through the Mae Young Classic, her friends and former MMA standouts Ronda Rousey, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir were all seen ringside cheering he on.
Over the next few months, after Baszler lost in the Mae Young Classic finals, she’d ink a WWE deal and go on to win the NXT Women’s title. At the same time, Rousey made an impact of her own on the main roster, showing up at the Royal Rumble and eventually stealing the show at WrestleMania 34 against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
With two of the four fully immersed, WWE announced on Monday that Duke and Shafir have both officially made the transition from MMA to pro wrestling, arriving at the Performance Center for training.
Shafir was a submission specialist in her MMA days, finishing five of her six MMA wins with an armbar submission. She is also engaged to NXT star Roderick Strong. Duke won three of her nine professional fights, with her last bout coming in 2016. Although she’s just now reporting to the Performance Center, Duke had been training for wrestling around the same time as Rousey.
While attending the Mae Young Classic, Rousey, Duke and Shafir planted the seeds for an eventual showdown with WWE’s Four Horsewomen, with a face-off against Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Becky Lynch (Sasha Banks was absent, but makes up the foursome). Just how quickly WWE goes this route remains to be seen.
