Now a member of AEW’s Death Riders, Marina Shafir was contracted with WWE from 2018 into 2021, when the company released her. Opening up on “Close Up with Renee Paquette,” Shafir credited Bloodsport’s Josh Barnett for helping her stay afloat in the aftermath of her release.
“I had just gotten released from [WWE] and I didn’t what the f**k was gonna happen,” Shafir said. “All I knew was that I had a mortgage to pay. I had to f***ing hustle. My son deserves the best education and I need to fortify myself and establish myself.”
Shafir wrestled Jody Threat on one of Barnett’s Bloodsport events, and she believes that match helped her make a name for herself outside of WWE. Barnett was previously Shafir’s coach in MMA, and he used to help her get her head in the game ahead of bouts, which she said carried over to her time in Bloodsport.
Additionally, Barnett is friends with Jon Moxley, and the AEW star took notice of Shafir around this time. According to Paquette, her husband Moxley raved about Shafir’s talents in the aftermath of the match, and he eventually took the former MMA star under his wing.
Shafir began making AEW appearances in late 2021, but it wasn’t until 2024 that she took on a more prominent role in the company, joining up with Moxley and the Death Riders. She’s become a stalwart member of the group and perhaps Moxley’s closest onscreen ally, and Shafir got a major win in the first women’s Blood & Guts match last year. While she hasn’t yet won a championship in AEW, that seems likely to change at some point in the near future.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Close Up with Renee Paquette” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
