Marina Shafir

Marina Shafir (April 14, 1988) is a Moldovan female professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist previously signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as part of their NXT brand. She previously competed for Invicta Fighting Championships in the women's featherweight division.
==Mixed martial arts career==
===Early career===
Shafir's earliest fight was at Premier FC 9 - Battle to the Belt, held on May 20 2012. She defeated Denise Goddard using an armbar submission within the first 0:44 seconds of the first round. Her next bout was at Premier FC 12 - Premier Fighting Championship 12 on November 17 2012 where she defeated her opponent Becky Lewis by armbar submission. Shafir returned in 2013 at Tuff-N-Uff - Mayhem in Mesquite 2 on March 23, where she defeated Danielle Mack by armbar submission in 0:59 seconds of the first round, her second fastest submission victory. At Tuff-N-Uff - Future Stars of MMA on November 29 2013, Shafir won a submission victory by using a Triangle Choke to defeat Tabitha Patterson in 0:59 seconds of the first round. Shafir returned in 2014 at U of MMA - Fight Night 5 on 9 February, where she defeated Nicole Upshaw by submission at 1:59 of the first round, her second longest submission victory since her match with Lewis whom she submitted at 2:03. Shafir compiled an undefeated record of 5-0 in her amateur career.
===Invicta Fighting Championships===
After fighting in two other professional matches during the months of April and August of 2014, Shafir signed with Invicta Fighting Championships. She debuted on July 9, 2015 at Invicta FC 13 - Cyborg vs. Van Duin where she lost to Amber Leibrock by knockout during the first 0:37 seconds of the first round.
==Professional wrestling career==
===World Wrestling Entertainment===
On May 7, 2018 WWE announced that Shafir and Jessamyn Duke had signed with WWE and reported to their Performance Center for training.
====NXT (2018-2021)====
Shafir debuted during the July 26 NXT house show, teaming with Nikki Cross in defeating Aliyah & Rhea Ripley in a tag match. She won her first singles match during the July 28 house show, defeating Aliyah. During the August 30 NXT house show, Shafir teamed with sister MMA fighters Jessamyn Duke & Shayna Baszler in defeating Dakota Kai, Io Shirai & Nikki Cross. During the September 14 house show Shafir, Duke and Shayna Baszler defeated Dakota Kai, Io Shirai and Kairi Sane in a rematch. During the September 22 house show, Shafir, Duke and Baszler defeated Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae and Kairi Sane in a third rematch. The following week during the September 27 house show, Shafir, Duke and Baszler defeated Io Shirai & Kairi Sane & Xia Li. During the following night's house show, Shafir competed in a number one contendership battle royal for the WWE United Kingdom Women's Championship, ending with Jessie Elaban winning the match. On the following night's house show on September 29, Shafir and Jessamyn Duke won a traditional two-on-two tag match, defeating MJ Jenkins & Taynara Conti. Shafir returned the following month during the October 4 house show, teaming with Jessamyn Duke in defeating Candice LeRae & Dakota Kai in a tag match. Two nights later on October 6, Shafir and Jessamyn Duke defeated Dakota Kai & Mia Yim. Shafir teamed once more with Jessamyn Duke & Shayna Baszler during the October 12 house show, where they defeated the triad of Io Shirai, Jessie Elaban & Lacey Lane. During the following night's house show Shafir teamed with Jessamyn Duke during which they endured their first tag team defeat of the month to Io Shirai & Mia Yim by means of disqualification. They finished the month, avenging their previous defeat at the October 19 house show, during with Shafir and Duke along with Shayna Baszler won a tag team rematch defeating Io Shirai, Mia Yim and third teammate Kairi Sane.
Shafir returned the following month for the November 1 house show during which she and Jessamyn Duke defeated Dakota Kai & Kairi Sane. Shafir and Duke repeated this in their next two rematches held during the November 3 and November 15 live events. Shafir and Duke sustained their first loss of the month during the November 28 NXT tapings, during which they were defeated by their rival Dakota Kai and Io Shirai. Shafir and her teammates Jessamyn Duke & Shayna Baszler finished the month with a tag match during the November 30 house show defeating Lacey Lane, Mia Yim & MJ Jenkins. Returning the following month at the December 6 house show, Shafir & Duke lost their first tag match of the match once more against Dakota Kai and her tag partner Kairi Sane. At the following night's house show. Two nights later during the December 9 house show, Shafir teamed with Shayna Baszler, avenging their teams previous losses, defeating Candice LeRae & Kairi Sane.
The following year, Shafir returned for the January 18, 2019 house show, teaming with Shayna Baszler in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Io Shirai & Kairi Sane, Aliyah & Vanessa Borne and Mia Yim & Xia Li. At the following night's house show Shafir and Baszler lost a tag team match to Bianca Belair & Kairi Sane. The following week, Shafir returned with Jessamyn Duke at the January 24 house show, in a tag match lost against Io Shirai & Kairi Sane. During the following night's house show, Shafir teamed with Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler in a tag match lost against Candice LeRae, Io Shirai & Kairi Sane. Shafir spent the course of 2019 and 2020 appearing in live events before making her televised return on the September 23 episode of NXT during which she wrestled in a Number One Contender Battle Royal. Shafir was released on June 25, 2021.
===Independent circuit (2021-present)===
Shafir made her debut in Hurricane Pro Wrestling on August 21, 2021 teaming with Nate Andrews against Heather Monroe & Ray Lyn in an intergender tag match. Shafir made her Game Changer Wrestling debut on October 22 at the GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 7 pay-per-view, where she defeated Masha Slamovich. Shafir debuted in Championship Wrestling From Atlanta during a October 30, 2021 episode of CWFA where she defeated Cassandra Golden. She returned during the November 7 taping of CWFA defeating Savannah Evans in a singles match. On the November 13 episode of CWFA Shafir won her third victory, defeating Brooke Havok.
===All Elite Wrestling (2021)===
Shafir made her debut on the December 14, 2021 episode of AEW Dark, losing to Kris Statlander. She returned during the December 28 taping of AEW Dark, winning her first singles victory defeating Valentina Rossi.
==In wrestling==
*Finishers
*Signature moves
*Entrance music
**"Legendary" by CFO$
*Nicknames
:*"The Supernova From Moldova"
*Managers and valets
*Teams and stables
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked her #72 in the 2019 PWI Top 100 Females
**PWI ranked her #118 in the 2022 PWI Top 150 Females
**PWI ranked her #170 in the 2023 PWI Top 250 Females
==External links==
* Profile
* Profile
* Profile
* Instagram
*Marina Shafir Sherdog Profile
Category:1988 births
Category:2018 debuts
Category:Female wrestlers
Category:Living people
Category:Moldovan wrestlers
Category:WWE NXT alumni
Category:Mixed martial artists
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:Hurricane Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Championship Wrestling From Atlanta alumni
Category:All Elite Wrestling alumni
Category:Game Changer Wrestling alumni
Category:New England Female Wrestling alumni
Category:Kitsune Women's Wrestling alumni
Category:The Wrestling Revolver alumni