NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV Shayna Baszler v Kairi Sane

Shayna Baszler has been nothing short of dominant since capturing the NXT Women’s Title in April, but on Saturday, Aug. 18, at TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 on WWE Network, the defiant champion will battle one of the few women to claim a pinfall victory over Baszler, Kairi Sane.

The Queen of Spades and The Pirate Princess first collided last summer in the Mae Young Classic Final, with Sane coming out on top to claim the prestigious trophy and her place in the history books as the inaugural Mae Young Classic winner. They clashed again in a rematch earlier this year. Baszler bested Sane that time around, using her suffocating Kirifuda Clutch to snuff out the spirited Superstar. Now, at NXT’s summertime spectacular, they meet again with the top prize of the NXT Women’s division on the line.

Even beyond the rubber-match intrigue, the match is a fascinating study of polar forces, both in terms of in-ring styles and personalities. Baszler is a coldblooded catch-wrestling devotee who overwhelms her competition with devastating submissions and debilitating strikes. She is as despised as she is arrogant, proclaiming that nobody in NXT stands a chance against her. In stark contrast, Sane is a highflying dynamo, a virtuous competitor between the ropes who’s beloved for her courage and affable charm.

Baszler rules the Women’s division with an iron fist, but can Sane repeat her success in the Mae Young Classic and wrest the title away from The Queen of Spades?