WMMA pioneer and TUF 18 cast member Shayna Baszler recently sat down with Dave Meltzer for a wide-ranging interview. The Josh Barnett protege has also trained extensively with Billy Robinson, who in turn trained alongside Karl Gotch at Billy Riley’s legendary Snake Pit in Wigan, England. Baszler is in fact certified in Catch Wrestling under Robinson, and 14 of her 15 career wins have been by way of submission, including her unorthodox “Schwing.”
In the interview the Queen of Spades talked about her love for Catch Wrestling.
“Training with Billy Robinson is just like any martial artist who would go to the old master of the art,” said Baszler. “He’s so knowledgeable. He’s an old guy now. His body is beat up from doing catch wrestling and pro wrestling. He can’t get on the mat with you. But I’ll never forget it.
“I was at one of his seminars and he literally told me a different place to put my thumb and it changed a move from having a 50/50 chance of working to a 90 percent chance of working. Just my thumb, not body positioning or anything. The experience he brings, the knowledge he has of grappling, there’s not many people left from his generation who did catch wrestling. I love the history of catch wrestling.
“The martial artist in me is bummed because there are so many moves that are based on people not wanting to get pinned that are lost because of the guard in MMA. I love that pure wrestling, and catch wrestling was the beginning of it all. He’s the most knowledgeable person in the world about the art of catch wrestling alive today.”
