Vince McMahon Envisioned WWE Superstar Debut Would Make Them Like Mike Tyson

WWE has invented plans for countless Superstars in the past that didn’t work out the way they originally planned. When Shayna Baszler finally made her long-awaited WWE main roster from NXT, Vince McMahon had a very interesting idea for her.

The underlying rationale behind a memorable Shayna Baszler angle has been unveiled, shedding light on the backstage considerations that led to this creative choice. Shayna Baszler was a former NXT Women’s Champion, and she transitioned to the main roster in early 2020. Her arrival immediately sparked a feud with Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, culminating in an intriguing angle on the February 10th, 2020 episode of Raw.

During this particular episode, Shayna Baszler applied a chokehold on Becky Lynch and proceeded to bite the back of her neck, causing Lynch to bleed. While some fans appreciated the raw intensity of this segment, it also faced significant online criticism from those who deemed it unnecessary.

In a conversation with Sean Ross Sapp for Fightful, Shayna Baszler disclosed that WWE aimed to generate viral social media attention with her debut on the main roster. WWE envisioned presenting her as the Mike Tyson of the women’s division, with Vince McMahon specifically desiring her to emulate Mike Tyson. It’s worth noting that Mike Tyson infamously bit a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear during their June 1997 boxing match.

“They wanted something that would make me trend on Twitter. It worked. I was like, ‘I mean, I have this gnarly arm stomp.’

“They were like, ‘No, no, no.’ We want you to be like the Mike Tyson of the division.’ I was like, ‘You think they’re gonna think Mike Tyson after this? Okay. You got it.’ But I trended on Twitter, so who am I to say?

“I just came up to main roster. I was doing my job getting myself to trend on Twitter. That’s it.”

Shayna Baszler’s most recent appearance involved her participation in a WWE Women’s World Title #1 contender’s battle royal on the November 6th edition of Raw. Zoey Stark emerged victorious in that match, earning the opportunity to challenge Rhea Ripley for the championship at Survivor Series WarGames 2023.

We will have to see what is next for Shayna Baszler. Vince McMahon certainly had an interesting idea for her debut. They ended up leaving that neck biting gimmick, but it will always remain in fans’ memory.

What’s your take on Vince McMahon’s plan here? Let us know what you think in the comments section!