Sister or something else: Is Shayna Baszler related to Ronda Rousey in real life?

Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler are currently one of the top duos in WWE's women's division. Their in-ring chemistry and history have resulted in them becoming the Women's Tag Team Champions. Despite their closeness, they are not bounded by blood.

For those wondering, Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey are not related in real life but are longtime friends. Their friendship began back in their time at MMA, wherein they were training partners at the Glendale Fighting Club gym. They also competed in the UFC and were part of the notable Four Horsewomen alongside Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke.

Shayna and Ronda have previously crossed paths in WWE, but only recently did they begin focusing on their tag team role. On the May 29, 2023, episode of Monday Night RAW, the former UFC fighters became the Women's Tag Team Champions.

They defeated IYO SKY & Bayley, Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville, and Shotzi & Raquel Rodriguez to capture the tag team titles.

Who decided to pair up Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler in WWE?

It's no secret that the former RAW Women's Champion found more success in the UFC than her best friend, Shayna. However, the latter found better success in wrestling and is considered one of the most dominant stars in the division. Although they found some differences in their careers, they were set on sharing the spotlight together.

During an interview, Shayna Baszler revealed that Ronda Rousey demanded them to finally be a tag team. The gesture is something the former NXT Women's Champion appreciated as well.

"Ronda is Ronda, right. She's been main title, she main-evented WrestleMania. She still gets one of the loudest pops when we walk out. This was something she demanded. We'd been asking for it forever, but she finally put her foot down and went to the office and said, 'Listen, we've been asking for this forever. You keep telling us, 'After, after, after this [and] this.' I honestly don't know if she hadn't done that, if they ever would have got to it. I wasn't in a position yet to be elevated to a Ronda level, so the fact that Ronda said, 'No, stop. I've done this. I want to do this because this is why I started wrestling.' So I think that's huge," revealed Baszler.

It remains to be seen how the Women's Tag Team Championship's run will look under the guidance of Rousey and Baszler.