A recently released WWE star may have already returned to the company in a backstage role. Shayna Baszler, who was let go in May, was reportedly working as a producer for a match during this week's episode of WWE NXT.
According to a report from Cory Hays of BodySlam, the former NXT Women's Champion was listed as a producer for the match between Kelani Jordan and Lainey Reid on the July 8 edition of NXT. It was noted that Chris Girard (formerly Oney Lorcan) was also listed as a producer for the match. This is often a tryout process for former wrestlers looking to transition into a full-time backstage role with the company.
Baszler’s WWE release in May reportedly caught many in the company off-guard, as she had re-signed with the promotion in 2024. Before her release, she last competed on the April 11 episode of SmackDown as a member of the Pure Fusion Collective faction alongside Zoey Stark and Sonya Deville. Her potential return in a new capacity while still under a 90-day non-compete clause is a noteworthy situation.
Baszler was part of a larger group of talent cuts in May that included Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, and Cora Jade. Kai has been teasing a return to the independent circuit under her former ring name while Jade has hit the ground running with several bookings.
