Baszler Says Pure Fusion Collective Was "Bad Timing"
Summary: TNA's Shayna Baszler said in an interview with Denise Salcedo, covered by Wrestling Inc on Nov. 9, that WWE's Pure Fusion Collective never got going because of "bad timing." She faces Indi Hartwell at Destination X on Nov. 15.
The quick version
- Baszler said the stable never "got our wheels on the ground" and called the cause "a mixture of bad timing," per Wrestling Inc's transcription of her interview with Denise Salcedo.
- She said Triple H asked her whether she knew another "brawler shooter" to add to the group.
- Baszler challenges Indi Hartwell for the TNA Knockouts World Championship at Destination X on Sunday, Nov. 15, in Edmonton.
Shayna Baszler says WWE's Pure Fusion Collective did not work because the timing was wrong. Wrestling Inc published her comments on Monday, Nov. 9, taken from an interview with reporter Denise Salcedo that Salcedo posted on YouTube on Oct. 22. In the same interview Baszler said she had signed with TNA, per the video's title.
What she said
Wrestling Inc quotes Baszler: "I don't feel like we ever really got our wheels on the ground with that." She said the group was sold to her and her partners as a big idea. She said Triple H pulled her aside and asked whether she knew "anybody else that's kind of like a brawler shooter that we can add here."
She said the stable arrived as The Judgment Day was "kind of breaking up," and that she and the others thought they could move into that spot. She said many stories were running at once, and a new faction needs time to tell its story. Her conclusion, in her words: "I think it was a mixture of bad timing." She also said she could not put her finger on one reason.
The group's history
Wrestling Inc says the stable formed in the summer of 2024 around Baszler, Zoey Stark and Sonya Deville, and ended around late spring 2025, when Deville's contract expired and Baszler was released. It says Stark was released after WrestleMania in 2026. All three are now in TNA, per the same report. Deville works as Daria Rae, Stark as Zoey Serrano. Baszler and Serrano are the Knockouts World Tag Team Champions, who won the titles at Bound for Glory, per Wrestling Inc. Rae is TNA's on-screen Director of Operations.
Why it matters this week
Baszler's next match is the Knockouts World Championship at Destination X on Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Edmonton EXPO Centre, where Indi Hartwell defends, per TNA and Postmedia. See our story on Hartwell and our Destination X card story.
What is not known
- Whether WWE has responded. We found no comment.
- When the interview was recorded. Salcedo's video is dated Oct. 22, and Wrestling Inc's report is dated Nov. 9.
Source: Baszler's words in Wrestling Inc's report (Brie Coder), which credits Denise Salcedo for the transcription. Salcedo's YouTube page confirms the interview and its date. We did not watch the 54-minute video. The Destination X match is listed by Postmedia (Edmonton Journal and Sun) and PWMania. Nothing in this story is a rumor.
Sources
- Wrestling Inc (Brie Coder), "TNA's Shayna Baszler Looks Back On WWE Run With Pure Fusion Collective Stable", Nov. 9, 2026 (the quotes, the stable's history). https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2309822/tna-shayna-baszler-wwe-pure-fusion-collective-hated-name/
- Denise Salcedo, "Shayna Baszler On Signing with TNA Wrestling, WWE Career & Reveals Truth About Ronda Rousey", YouTube, Oct. 22, 2026 (the original interview, which we did not watch). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkfoV4ej5Yk
- Postmedia (Trevor Robb), "TNA Wrestling returns to its roots with Destination X at Edmonton's Expo Centre", Nov. 7, 2026 (Hartwell vs. Baszler). https://news.yahoo.com/tna-wrestling-returns-roots-destination-210440606.html
- PWMania (James Hetfield), "Updated Lineup For TNA Destination X 2026", Nov. 6, 2026 (the card). https://pwmania.com/updated-lineup-for-tna-destination-x-2026-3
- WrestlingNews.com, "Indi Hartwell Says She Is Open to InDex Reunion With Samuel Shaw", Nov. 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/indi-hartwell-open-to-index-reunion-with-samuel-shaw/
- WrestlingNews.com, "TNA Adds Hardy and Moose vs. syX to Destination X", Nov. 2026. https://wrestlingnews.com/story/tna-destination-x-syx-hardy-moose-revolver-nov-18/
- WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: read Wrestling Inc's report in full and checked Salcedo's video page for the date. We did not watch the video and did not contact TNA or WWE.
How we credit sources: Editorial standards.