Marina Shafir wants to learn.
After a run in mixed martial arts, Shafir ventured into professional wrestling by signing with WWE in 2018. There, she aligned with fellow MMA fighters Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, even assisting Baszler at WWE Evolution to defeat Kairi Sane for the NXT Women’s Championship. Shafir’s actual in-ring work, however, was primarily seen at NXT live events. “The Problem” managed to compete on NXT television a total of six times over her tenure in the company, but she wanted more.
In a recent appearance on The Sessions With Renee Paquette, Shafir explained that although she feels “probably the most athletic” she’s ever been in her life, she doesn’t feel fulfilled.
“I’m not even really pushing myself outside of this,” she said. “I haven’t been doing the things that fill my cup.”
Following her release from WWE in June 2021, Shafir racked up a few independent wrestling appearances, with hopes of getting more reps in the sport. Shafir later joined All Elite Wrestling, with frequent appearances on Dark and Dark: Elevation, and sporadic competition on Dynamite. However, “the schedule just got crazy,” which forced Shafir to lessen her independent dates so she could still spend time with family. Now, she focuses her energy on her AEW matches, with an eagerness to learn.
“Pro wrestling is special and you can do however the f-ck you want to do it right? That’s what people say. There isn’t just one f-cking way up the mountain, there’s multiple. So for me, I need to approach whatever matches that are in my future. I want time to prepare. I want time to understand what I need to bring to the table, I like that pressure,” she said.
