According to Dave Meltzer, the supposed tension between Jade Cargill and Shayna Baszler isn’t cooling off anytime soon. What started as a post-match altercation has now escalated into a full-fledged backstage drama, complete with bruises, face-offs, and just a sprinkle of wrestling politics.
The Backstory: How We Got Here
Reports surfaced last week about a backstage confrontation between Cargill and Baszler following a tag match where Cargill & Bianca Belair faced Baszler & Zoey Stark. The drama supposedly kicked off after a botched in-ring spot, which led to claims that Cargill made a comment implying Baszler “needs to learn how to work.”
Cargill’s team denied the claim, but according to Meltzer’s latest update, things might not be so simple.
What Really Happened?
Meltzer now reports that the situation actually escalated when Cargill pointed to a bruise on her arm and delivered the infamous line directly to Baszler. Later on, Cargill allegedly blamed others for match issues, which led to Baszler confronting her again. Things got heated, with Cargill reportedly getting in Baszler’s face before other talent and management had to step in to break things up.
If you ever wondered what would happen if a former MMA fighter and a former AEW star with unlimited confidence clashed backstage—well, here’s your answer.
Adding Fuel to the Fire: Cargill’s Time Off & Mountain Dew Commercial
Meltzer also noted some backstage confusion over Cargill requesting time off for the holidays, something that is more common in AEW (which focuses on TV rather than house shows) but not exactly WWE’s style. To make matters worse, she eventually suffered a legitimate injury—but because it coincided with her request for time off, some questioned whether she was actually hurt.
Then, just to keep the conspiracy theories alive, she filmed a Mountain Dew commercial while sidelined, leading to even more speculation. However, Meltzer says that those who originally doubted her injury have since come around to believing it was legitimate.
The Fallout
- Cargill is still set for a major push, thanks to her look and star power from AEW.
- Baszler is still Shayna Baszler, meaning she’s not backing down from anyone, even if it causes tension backstage.
- The WWE locker room is watching closely, because nothing spices up wrestling more than a little real-life heat.
Will this all blow over, or are we heading toward a real-life feud spilling into WWE programming? Only time will tell.