Ronda Rousey was interviewed by WWE after her big debut at the conclusion of Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view from Philadelphia. The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion interrupting Asuka’s post-Rumble win, just as it appeared Asuka would declare if she’ll challenge for the RAW or SmackDown Women’s championship at WrestleMania. Rousey pointed at the WrestleMania 34 sign, took a look at both titles and tried to shake Asuka’s hand but Asuka slapped it away. Rousey also shook Stephanie McMahon’s hand at ringside to squash their storyline beef.
Rousey says she really doesn’t know how to process everything but this is not something she does every day and is something very different from fighting. Rousey says it was a real pleasure being able to soak everything up and she’s very aware of how lucky she is. Rousey says coming to WWE has been her dream since before she could talk. She talks about asking late WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper if she could use the “Rowdy” nickname when she got into MMA. Rousey says no matter what else she did in life, pro wrestling kept following her around and it was time to take a hint from the WWE Universe.
Rousey also reveals that the leather jacket she wore at the Rumble was brought to her by Piper’s son Colt, who flew the jacket in from Las Vegas to Philadelphia. Rousey says she wants people to remember Piper every time she’s out there and says she wouldn’t be here or had her run in UFC if it weren’t for Piper. Rousey says Piper taught her so much from afar and showed her that she can also touch people from afar. Rousey says she is a better person because Piper lived.
Regarding the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match, Rousey says she was thinking about how a women’s Rumble would have been laughed at before and how she’s been laughed out of gyms in the past. Rousey says women have been brushed aside in combat sports for so long but to see everyone give a standing ovation to the women’s Rumble was big, and how fans were really invested in the match, and how it was well-accepted by the fans, not forced on them. Rousey says she didn’t even know about women’s wrestlers when she was a kid but she wants to make sure there’s not another generation that doesn’t know about women’s wrestlers when they’re little.
When asked about pointing to the WrestleMania 34 sign, Rousey says she thinks it’s a big fat hint that she’s going to be there in New Orleans at the big event.
