Marina Shafir Traces Her Path From MMA To WWE

In a recent interview with Wilde On, Marina Shafir shared some details on the events that led her from MMA to working on NXT (per Wrestling Inc). Shafir currently works with AEW as well as indie companies, but got her start at NXT. WWE had reached out to her after injuries had forced her to leave the MMA scene. You can find a few highlights and listen to the full podcast episode below.

On the injuries that ended her run with MMA: “I had to take them fucking serious and rehab them because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to use my left hand — just some really bad neck shit, and it spooked me, so I kinda went on a healing path.”

On the lead-up to her recruitment by WWE: “I was hustling. I was a stunt worker… And then I kinda tried to hustle in the entertainment business… They came to me and were like, ‘Hey, there’s an opportunity for you.’ I would’ve been an idiot not to take it.”

On learning the skills she would need at NXT: “Everything I learned at NXT, I still use to this day. I had great coaches. But the system doesn’t fucking make sense.”