Shayna Baszler’s first match since her WWE release has been officially announced. The former NXT Women’s Champion will make her debut for Prestige Wrestling against TNA’s Masha Slamovich at Prestige Roseland XII on October 5th.
The booking marks a significant step for Baszler, as it will be her first independent wrestling appearance outside of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport series since 2017, the year she originally signed with WWE.
This new chapter begins after Baszler became a free agent in early August, following the expiration of her 90-day non-compete clause. Her departure from WWE in May was not due to an expiring contract. Baszler herself recently revealed she had signed an extension and had approximately three years remaining on her deal at the time of the release.
She indicated that the “writing was on the wall” after her tag team partner, Sonya Deville, was not re-signed in February 2025. This led to Baszler and Zoey Stark being removed from television, and their creative pitches were reportedly not gaining traction with the company. Her final WWE match took place in April 2025.
Her opponent, Masha Slamovich, is coming off a championship match at NXT Heatwave on August 24. Slamovich competed in a Triple Threat match for the TNA Knockouts World Championship against then-champion Jacy Jayne and Ash by Elegance.
The match concluded when Ash by Elegance pinned Slamovich to win the title. The finish occurred after interference from Ash’s faction, The Elegance Brand, who pulled Jacy Jayne out of the ring following her finisher, allowing Ash to hit a Swanton Bomb for the victory.