WWE sent in word that former MMA fighters Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke have reported to the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Shafir and Duke are part of MMA’s “Four Horsewomen” along with Ronda Rousey and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler. As WWE.com puts it, “MMA’s Four Horsewomen have arrived in WWE in full force.”
Duke was a pro MMA Fighter from 2012-2016. She fought as a bantamweight for various promotions including the UFC and appeared on UFC’s “Ultimate Fighter” series back in 2013 as part of “Team Rousey.”
Shafir fought for Invicta and Lights Out Promotions. She is engaged to NXT Superstar Roderick Strong and has been seen ringside for many of Strong’s NXT matches.
WWE fans might remember MMA’s horsewomen having a confrontation with Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Bayley at last year’s Mae Young Classic. With Shafir and Duke now officially working under the WWE banner, the stage is set for both Charlotte and Ronda Rousey to have the backing of their respective crews when that eventual showdown occurs.
WWE is already starting to build the next feud for former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey.
Rousey made her WWE in-ring debut by teaming up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34 last month.
As seen on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw in Montreal, QC at the Bell Centre on the USA Network, Rousey was ringside for Natalya’s match against Mickie James, which saw Natalya win. After the match, there was a post-match celebration angle that featured WWE RAW Women’s Champ Nia Jax, Rousey, and Natalya.
The previous week, Rousey made the save for Natalya and beatdown James. Mike Johnson speculated on PWinsider audio that this segment could’ve been done as a way to plant the seeds for a future match that would see Jax vs. Rousey at SummerSlam later this year.
“Nia Jax showed up as Alexa was standing on the stage and then Alexa ran away from her and dove into the crowd to get away. Then they did the moment of Nia and Rousey, kinda facing off, which of course they will build that as a dream match at some point. Before the two raised each other’s arms and they’re both happy, happy, joy, joy smiling. It was an interesting little thing. I looked at that and went, ‘there’s SummerSlam.’ That’s were my brain immediately went. That’s the initial tease for SummerSlam.”
Rousey vs. Nia Jax? Meh
The question remains if Nia Jax is the right opponent for Ronda Rousey this early into her in-ring career. Rousey is scheduled to work against with veteran competitor Mickie James during WWE’s upcoming UK tour. This seems like a wise booking decision, as Rousey can continue honing her skills against a seasoned competitor. Nia Jax has improved, but she’s no Mickie James in the ring. She’s also a babyface, as is Ronda Rousey. Who knows if Nia Jax will still be RAW Women’s Champion come August, but Rousey should not be anywhere near a championship match before WrestleMania 35.
Maybe Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax will cross paths eventually, but Rousey would be better suited against someone like Mickie or Alexa Bliss.
What are your thoughts on a potential match between Jax and Rousey at this event? Sound off in the comment section below.
Ronda Rousey had a pretty impactful pro wrestling debut at WrestleMania 34 but prior to commencing a pro wrestling career, she had to suffer from 2 dominating UFC loses.
In previous interviews, Rousey had opened up about her losses and the effect they had on her. During a recent Q&A session with Hollywood director Peter Berg at the Wild Card West boxing gym, she once again talked about her UFC defeats.
Ronda said that she did a whole lot of crying after her undefeated streak broke but claimed that time is a great teacher and best things have come from the worst things:
“I did a whole lot of crying, isolating myself, (husband Travis Browne) held me and let me cry and it lasted two years, I couldn’t have done it alone. I had to learn from experience. From the worst things, the best things have come as a result. Time is a great teacher. It’s that belief that time passes, even bad times.”
Ronda Rousey had a 12 fight undefeated streak before it was broken by Holly Holm at UFC 193 via knockout in the second round.
Her second loss came at the hands of Amanda Nunes via TKO in the first round and after this defeat; she left UFC and joined WWE for building a career in Pro Wrestling.
WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross recently did an interview with MMA Junkie Radio to offer his thoughts on the professional wrestling debut of former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Rousey partnered up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match at WrestleMania.
Ross explained why, in 40 years of his professional wrestling career, Rousey’s debut was the most impactful he has ever witnessed:
“I thought that Ronda’s debut was the most impactful pro wrestling debut that I have seen in my 40-plus year career. If you look at her skill set, experience-wise, from this genre in pro wrestling, it was almost non-existent,” said Ross. “But she had so much pressure on her. The hype was amazing. The expectations were mixed.
“Some die-hard wrestling fans don’t even like her being there, which is absolutely insane. They are [sic] and goofy, no doubt about that. So, I was absolutely blown away by what she did and how she executed. She looked like an athlete; we knew she is an athlete. She’s a winner.”
As for those who aren’t a fan of Rousey and use her two back-to-back losses in mixed martial arts (MMA) as talking points, Ross has a message for them:
“Now look, some say, well, she lost her last two fights. Kiss my a**,” said Ross. “How’s that? C’mon. She won a lot of fights, guys. You know what I mean? She’s a winner. She goes to the Olympics and medals. She’s a winner. So I knew that she was not going to drop the ball.”
Ross said that Rousey handled the pressure of performing at WrestleMania in front of 70,000 people rather impressively:
“It’s WrestleMania, guys. If you’re an MMA fan, then you say, ‘Well, what does it matter? It’s still pro wrestling.’ There was almost 80,000 people there,” Ross said. “She had so much pressure at this massive event, it would’ve been very easy for her to slip the bit and not have a great outing. If she continues to train as diligently and as ferociously as she has been, the sky’s the limit for her. She can be really, really good.”
You can read Rousey’s full interview with MMA Junkie by clicking this link here.
Ronda Rousey was announced to have signed a fulltime contract with WWE. So it wouldn’t make sense for her to miss the first WWE PPV after her wrestling debut and if some recent reports are to be believed, then we may see her singles debut at the upcoming Backlash PPV.
Ronda is set to face Mickie James at an upcoming WWE Live Event in May and this bout was originally seen as something which wouldn’t have an impact on the main WWE Programming. However, the company seemingly started building a feud between the two during the main event of this week’s episode of Raw.
The main event of this week’s Raw was a 10 Women Tag match involving Mickie James and others and the closing moments of the bout saw James attacking Natalya. Ronda then came to aid of the former SmackDown Women’s Champion and attacked Mickie.
During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez talked about these events and speculated that Rousey could make her singles debut at the upcoming PPV against the former SmackDown Star Mickie James
It would make sense for Ronda Rousey to face a seasoned veteran like Mickie James in her singles debut as she would be able to produce a good match despite the UFC Star’s limited experience and also help in hiding her flaws
Whether or not this match actually takes place at the upcoming PPV will be revealed in future. For now, it’s only safe to say that the programming is pointing towards this rivalry for Ronda Rousey in near future.
The Beast Brock Lesnar is set to defend his Universal Championship inside a Steel Cage against Roman Reigns at the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia this Friday. It turns out, his advocate Paul Heyman will not be at his side, per a report from PWInsider.
With reports suggesting that Lesnar could drop the title to Reigns in Saudi Arabia, this should make things very interesting indeed when Lesnar and Heyman return to WWE TV if he loses the title.
What Happened After Monday Night RAW?
Originally, the dark match advertised for last night’s Monday Night RAW in St. Louis, Missouri was a Six Man Tag Team match between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins against Sheamus, Cesaro and Samoa Joe .
That match, of course, didn’t happen because Sheamus, Cesaro, and Joe are now on SmackDown Live following the Superstar Shake-Up. RAW went off-air with Ronda Rousey helping Natalya to the backstage area and that’s where the show ended for the live crowd as well.
We now know who former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey will face while working the upcoming WWE UK tour.
The newest member of the WWE roster is heading to Europe as part of the sports entertainment company’s annual post-WrestleMania tour and will be working the following dates:
– May 16th: Geneva, Switzerland
– May 17th: Vienna, Austria
– May 18th: Turin, Italy
– May 19th: Paris, France
Rousey made her WWE in-ring debut by teaming up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34 earlier this month.
Monday Night RAW is live tonight from St. Louis, Missouri, and it’s the go-home show to the Greatest Royal Rumble event in Saudi Arabia. PWInsider is reporting that newly acquired SmackDown Live talent, Asuka, is backstage for tonight’s show. She could be making an appearance before moving to SmackDown Live full-time.
Jim Ross Praises Ronda Rousey’s WWE In-Ring Debut
TMZ recently caught up with WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross to get his take on ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s WWE in-ring debut. Rousey teamed up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match.
Ross had some high praise for The Rowdy One’s debut, calling it the most impressive thing he has ever seen in his 40-year professional wrestling career:
“I thought Ronda Rousey’s debut was the most impressive thing I’ve seen in pro wrestling in my 40-year career – best debut I ever saw.”
While Ronda Rousey’s WWE in-ring debut was fairly well received by the professional wrestling community, it looks like one WWE Hall Of Famer isn’t a fan of The Rowdy One venturing off into the professional wrestling world.
Superstar Billy Graham took to his official Facebook page and went on an absolute rant regarding Rousey’s WWE career, referring to her as Ronda “Lousy” several times. For starters, Graham takes exception to Rousey playing off of Roddy Piper’s gimmick.
He also did not like the rumors flying around before her WrestleMania 34 match suggesting she could win by making Triple H tap out. Here’s Graham’s full rant:
“Ronda Lousy vs HHH
“First off to the fan who wrote.. ‘ I find Ronda’s use of Piper’s gimmick nauseating ‘ You my brother are dead on my man !!! I find it a total insult and absolutely reveals that she does not have an original thought in her head. Damn, can’t she be an original at anything ? This shows you how shallow she is and by the way, I am a fan of females being in the main event.
“That is why I put up this photo of Amanda Nunes kicking her ass in 48 seconds. She looked pitiful, a TKO in 48 seconds on Dec. 30th, 2016 by Nunes, a real fighter and Rousey just a jobber. Speaking of jobbers, I read today a quote by Meltzer that shook me to the core, it goes as follows, ‘ There was a rumor going around by WWE officials prior to mania 34 that Rousey was going to make HHH tap out to her armbar finisher ( instead of Stephanie McMahon ) and it appears the company went in the latter direction specifically due to storyline continuity reasons; as Rousey attacked Stephanie’s arm the next night on Raw whereas HHH is not a regular on-screen character and has disappeared for now. ‘
“WHAT ??? Miss Lousy was going to make H tap out ??? This would have been received as well as a cement truck full of pig sh*t being dumped on the mania 34 fans. God folks, what is the WWE thinking ??? RR is not a god of some kind but a mere female x UFC failure that got her flat ass kicked twice on the way out. Now this is nauseating.
“I demand that you fans respond to this crap the WWE is trying to lay on you by even thinking about her making HHH tap out, god this makes me sick. To help you get over your urge to vomit over this news, please click on the link directly below that my main man Mike found for me. Just a 60 second promo by me from Florida and please tell me if anyone in the WWE today can match my short promo, UN-scripted and loaded !!! Superstar B. G.”
This past weekend in New Orleans former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made her in-ring WWE debut at WrestleMania 34. The Rowdy One teamed up with Kurt Angle to pick up a win over Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in Mixed Tag Team action.
Despite fans’ initial expectations, Rousey actually did very well for herself inside the ring and wound up picking up the win for her team after locking in an armbar on McMahon. WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin took to his podcast, The Steve Austin Show, to grade Rousey’s performance.
The Texas Rattlesnake said he “absolutely loved” the match and found it very entertaining:
“This was such an entertaining match and I was really wondering how Ronda would handle the moment. Some people have questioned some of her interview skills, and she’s not used to being on an RF mic in front of 20,000 people in these arenas. Mostly it’s trash-talk, and soundbites, and stuff like that and a shoot aspect, and not following storyline stuff, I was wondering, ‘would the moment be too great for her?’ And this match was so damn entertaining.
“There were so many twists and turns, and submission-type moves, and right when you thought, ‘well, here’s the finish,’ they extended it – that wasn’t the finish. And the crowd bought into this. It started off a tad slow. People were wondering, I think, just like I did, but boom! They set the hook there, mister. And, damn near from the bell, it was on. That crowd, everybody there was into that match.”
Austin then broke down Rousey’s body language during the performance, specifically noting how The Rowdy One was smiling from ear to ear when she made her way to the ring:
“When she came out smiling, she looked like a million bucks.” Austin recalled, “I liked the plaid skirt and she came out. She had her gear on and then it was time. She got her game face on at the point, but I know where that came from. I’ll guarantee you that was straight out of the old man. ‘Go out there and smile’ because we know she’s a badass. We know she [has] got that mean mug face when it’s time to go out there and do business.
“And there were plenty of opportunities, and that did happen during the course of the match, but it felt a little weird to me, too, but, I think that he wanted her to smile just to be accessible, maybe to calm the nerves or maybe she’s more free when she’s focused, that laser-focus that she has. But I didn’t expect her to smile.
“But it was her first big performance in front of 78,000 people. Some people were knocking her on it. I could go either way on it, but I do know that when the bell rang, I was watching her body language and hang onto that tag rope.”
With all that being said, taking into account Rousey’s overall performance on The Grandest Stage Of Them All, Austin gave Rousey an A+ – and offered the same grade to the match as well:
“Obviously, they put a lot of time into this, she’s obviously a very talented person, and you had three hands in there with Kurt, Steph, and Triple H being able to go out there and help along with the referee,” Austin explained. “So all of the pieces were set in place for this thing to be, and this thing was built to make all of them shine, but specifically Ronda and help get her over.
“And yeah, this one, I thought they knocked a grand slam, the bases were loaded, and they knocked it out of the park. And so, we’ll see what happens in the future when she starts moving into single’s endeavors, tag team endeavors. Yeah, this was great and they pulled it off. So she still has work to do, but as far as her performance goes, I give her an A+. And I give the match an A+ because that’s how entertained I was by it.”
You can listen to The Steve Austin Show by clicking this link here.
Ronda Rousey’s next WWE match has been announced. The ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’ is heading to Europe as part of the company’s annual post-WrestleMania tour. She will be competing on the following shows:
May 16th: Geneva, Switzerland
May 17th: Vienna, Austria
May 18th: Turin, Italy
May 19th: Paris, France
The entire WWE European tour will feature 13 live events.
Ronda Rousey: WWE Superstar
Rousey made her professional wrestling debut last weekend at WrestleMania 34. She and Kurt Angle teamed up to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a show-stealing performance. She appeared in the opening segment of Monday’s RAW and once again put Stephanie in an armbar to the delight of the live crowd.
Who Will Rousey Work With In Europe?
It will be interesting to see which WWE Superstar(s) are selected to work with Rousey on the European tour, how those matches are received and whether or not WWE sees a spike in ticket sales with the addition of Rousey.
Rousey’s performance at WrestleMania was incredible. Not to take anything away from that, but that match was heavily planned out. When she starts working singles matches, we’ll get a better idea of where she stands as an in-ring performer. It would make sense to have Rousey work against an experienced heel on the European tour – which would make Mickie James an ideal candidate.
We’ll provide an update when WWE announces Rousey’s opponent(s).
It has been a great past weekend for former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. She made her professional wrestling debut at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, teaming with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match.
This comes after a dark period in Rousey’s life, in which she suffered the first back-to-back losses in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career. Rousey told The Ellen Degeneres Show that after her loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193 she struggled with depression and even contemplated suicide (via ESPN):
“Honestly, my thought in the medical room, I was sitting in the corner and was like, ‘What am I anymore if I’m not this?'” said Rousey. “Literally sitting there thinking about killing myself. In that exact second, I’m like, ‘I’m nothing. What do I do anymore? No one gives a s— about me anymore without this.'”
Rousey was recently on E!’s Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, which airs tonight at 9 P.M. EDT on E!. During that appearance Rousey opened up about her own father’s suicide when she was young:
“My dad, he had broke his back, and he happened to have a really rare blood disorder that kept him from healing, similar to hemophilia and it doesn’t allow you to clot your blood,” said Rousey.
“And so, for years, he was getting platelet transfusions and trying to put rods in his back, everything. Eventually [the doctors] said you’re gonna be a paraplegic and then a quadriplegic and then you’re gonna die and there’s nothing we can do about it.
“And so, my dad decided to take matters into his own hands because he was in a huge amount of pain every day. He couldn’t work anymore, he felt like he was just a drag on the family and he was very much like a person who takes care of everyone. And he drove his car out and he put a hose in the exhaust. I was eight years old.
“I remember that what he passed, I would just try to tell myself that he was on a business trip and he’d be back. And that was my way to cope with it,” Rousey said. “But, I wouldn’t be crying unless he was awesome. He was the best.”
– WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey had a great weekend in New Orleans. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion made her professional wrestling debut in a Mixed Tag Team match at WrestleMania 34, teaming up with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
The Rowdy One completely blew fans’ expectations for her wrestling ability out of the water. With all that now behind her, Rousey is now set to make an appearance on E!’s “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry” tonight at 9pm EST. Here’s the official statement:
Ronda Rousey to appear on E!’s “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry”
Following her memorable in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34, The Baddest Woman on the Planet, Ronda Rousey, will appear on E!’s “Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry.”
Rousey’s enlightening experience with the renowned Tyler Henry airs Wednesday, April 11, at 9/8 C.
– New SmackDown Live General Manager Paige took to Twitter to react to a big first day on the job. NXT call-ups The Iconic Duo, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce, made their main roster debut by attacking Charlotte Flair.
Soon after, Ms. Money In The Bank Carmella cashed in her briefcase and became the new SmackDown Live Women’s Champion by pinning The Queen. Here’s what Paige had to say about the two events:
Ronda Rousey really impressed during her performance at WrestleMania 34 this past weekend in New Orleans.
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion teamed up with Kurt Angle to take on the team of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, and the four put on one of the best matches of the night.
Rousey picked up the win for her team by locking in an armbar on Stephanie McMahon, forcing her to tap out. The following night on RAW, McMahon attempted to bury the hatchet with Rousey – who instead pulled a flying armbar on McMahon after ripping off her cast.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reports that Rousey’s impact on WWE has been so big that the company is already talking about her main eventing next year’s WrestleMania 35 in New Jersey.
No opponent was specifically named for the potential match, but if there’s anyone with the star-power to put on the first-ever female match to main event a WrestleMania card – it’s Ronda Rousey.
There was one interesting name that attended the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company, and that was UFC President Dana White.
The reason that he attended the event was to see former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey make her in-ring WWE debut.
As seen at WrestleMania 34 on Sunday night (April 8th, 2018) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on the WWE Network, Rousey and Kurt Angle defeated Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team Match.
White has given a statement on Rousey making her in-ring debut to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
“She accomplished everything she could at UFC. She has a title defense record that still isn’t broken, the amazing fight last night with Rose and Joanna wouldn’t have been possible without Ronda kickstarting everything and I could go on and on.”
“She has always loved professional wrestling and now she gets to have a blast being a part of it. She will be great at ANYTHING she sets her mind to doing. I thought she was incredible tonight and I’m happy for her.”
Dana White on @RondaRousey "She accomplished everything she could at UFC. She has a title defense record that still isn't broken, the amazing fight last night with Rose and Joanna wouldn't have been possible without Ronda kickstarting everything and I could go on and on. "
Dana White on @RondaRousey WWE debut: "She has always loved professional wrestling and now she gets to have a blast being a part of it. She will be great at ANYTHING she sets her mind to doing. I thought she was incredible tonight and I'm happy for her.”
Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle picked up the victory over Triple H and Stephanie McMahon last night at WrestleMania. Rousey made Stephanie McMahon tap in a match which went 20 minutes and 40 seconds.
WWE.com cameras recently caught up with both Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle after the match. Angle was quick to praise his partner, who he reminds everyone just wrestled her first official match.
Ronda Rousey Glad She Lost in UFC Because it Led Her to WrestleMania
Ronda Rousey also spoke with ESPN following her victory last night. In the interview, she mentioned she was finally glad she lost her last two MMA fights because it led her to where she is now.
“Everything really does happen for a reason. I’m just so grateful. I thought I never would be [grateful] for [the losses], but time is a great teacher. I’m just really, really glad I gave it time instead of giving up and feeling it was the end of the world. There are so many people who encounter tragedies who feel like the world and time won’t heal it. But all I can say to those people is: Just give it time, even if you think time can’t heal it. You never know what will happen and where it will lead you. Every missed opportunity is a blessing in disguise. I really believe it now.”
Rousey also revealed to ESPN she thought the WWE fans would boo her when she first debuted. That she has received such a positive response since appears to have touched her.
“I owe the WWE universe an apology because I thought they were going to boo me out of the building from day one,” she said. “They really accepted me from day one. Hopefully, I satisfied a lot of skeptics tonight.”
“I underestimated how kind the WWE universe would be. I thought any outsiders would be shunned. I was expecting to get shunned and to have to battle to be accepted. I worked my ass off to pay respect to what’s so important to them, and hopefully, they saw that tonight. I’m just so grateful, man. I’m trying my best to deserve it.”
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is slated to team up with WWE Hall of Famer and current Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to take on Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34.
Jonathan Coachman spoke with TMZ Sports about Rousey appearance at WrestleMania 34. In this interview, he defended Rousey from criticism and those certain female stars who are complaining about her spot in the WWE. Here is what he had to say:
“There’s been so many different reactions to Ronda coming in to the WWE,” Coachman said. “Some really, really positive, some skeptical and some in between. Here’s the difference with Ronda Rousey compared to probably anybody else you can name in the history of the business. She’s coming in right at the top, her in-ring debut is gonna be at WrestleMania. You talk about pressure! I mean, that pressure is real, it’s legit.” “Yeah, she’s been in main events before in the UFC, but this is on another level,” Coachman responded. “We’re talking millions upon millions of viewers. Here’s the thing that people don’t think about, just the pressure to perform in front of her new peers. Because she’s come in and taken a very lucrative spot at WrestleMania. Now, I don’t really give a damn whether she’s earned it or not. Her star power has earned it, but now she has to go out there and perform, that’s the beauty of WrestleMania and coming in where she has come in at. So, I think there’s a lot of people anxious to see exactly how a match with Ronda Rousey is going to look.”
WrestleMania 34 goes down tonight at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. This event airs on pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network. It’s the most successful and longest-running professional wrestling event in history. Both Raw and SmackDown rosters will be featured. Coachman continued, “Trust me when I say that there are a long line of females that would love nothing better – I don’t care what they tell you – than to run a program with Ronda Rousey,” Coachman said. “When she comes out to the arena – I’m there – she’s gets as big a pop, if not the biggest pop of anybody on the show, but that’s only going to last for so long until she starts working matches. If the girls are smart, they don’t complain about Ronda Rousey, they embrace her and say, ‘Let me help you, because that is what’s good for business, and what’s good for business is good for me.'”
It looks like The Rowdy One has interest in becoming the first-ever Paul Heyman Girl – but don’t hold your breathe on the possibility.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer reports Rousey wants to have Heyman advocate for her in the ring. That’s highly unlikely to happen, however, due to backstage politics between Heyman and the McMahons.
Rousey is being booked up to be a huge babyface fighting against the authoritarian figure of Stephanie McMahon. Heyman is seen as a heel on WWE TV, despite the fact that current Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is received as a babyface due to Heyman’s representation.
Discussion: Does having Heyman paired up with Rousey make sense? Would Rousey do better as a heel? Will WWE bite the bullet and allow Heyman to advocate for The Rowdy One?
Ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is officially now a WWE Superstar. Rousey is expected to make her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 this weekend in New Orleans. She will team up with WWE Hall Of Famer Kurt Angle against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a Mixed Tag Team match.
The Queen Of Harts recently did a column for The Edmonton Sun and praised The Rowdy One’s work ethic in her professional wrestling career. Here’s what she had to say:
“At the Royal Rumble, no one could forget the debut of Ronda Rousey. Ronda is one of the most prominent names and a pioneer for female athletes. To have her join our roster of strong, empowered women is truly awesome. Ronda is very special in so many ways. She is a dedicated athlete who is passionate about what she believes in. What I love about her is that she makes no apologies for who she is.
“If she has a dream, she goes for it, even if she’s not entirely sure how it’s going to all work out. She knows that if she gives it her all and puts in the work, she won’t have regrets. I respect Ronda, I admire her and I’m proud to call her a friend. I also can’t wait to wrestle her one day!”
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss recently did an interview with TV Insider to promote her WrestleMania 34 title defense against Nia Jax. Bliss first discussed her appreciation for WWE’s creative team and not knowing how she’ll make her WrestleMania entrance yet:
“Our creative team is awesome. They always take our suggestions for entrances. We always try to work with them because sometimes they have some ideas for us or sometimes there are no ideas at all. So, we just have to mesh together and be open to suggestions on both ends. Our creative teams and writing teams are always great about that.”
Little Miss Bliss then talked about her feud with Nia Jax and their build-up to their bout in New Orleans:
“It has been a very real road with Nia. We both have struggled with image issues in the past. So, it’s a very real subject that we are bringing to light with mine and Nia’s story. I think because it’s an actual issue, people can relate. There are people who are bullied or are bullies.
“I think it’s one of those things that people are going to be invested in our story because it’s real and there is real emotion behind it. People know that me and Nia up to this point were best friends, which they’ve seen through Monday Night Raw and Total Divas. Now our storyline is more personal; I think that is what getting people into what we are doing.”
The RAW Women’s Champ then offered her thoughts on ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey joining the roster:
“I’ve always said that if anyone can legitimize the fan’s perception of what we do, I think it’s Ronda. Everyone knows she has made a name for herself in UFC and had this division built around her. She has done all these amazing things, but to see her train and struggle and do the grind of what we do, I think it gives people more appreciation for what we do. For many, Ronda is it. I think it’s great that we have her, and I think it’s what our ‘Women’s Revolution’ needs.”
You can read Bliss’ full interview with TV Insider by clicking this link here.
The power couple of the WWE, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, continue to make the media rounds to promote the biggest event of the year for the sports entertainment company, WrestleMania 34.
At this year’s event, Triple H and McMahon will team up to take on former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey and Raw General Manager Kurt Angle in a Mixed Tag Team Match.
Triple H and Stephanie recently spoke with Fox News to promote WrestleMania 34.
During the interview, they were asked by signing Rousey if it open the doors to other athletes outside to pursue a career in the WWE. Here is what they had to say: Triple H: “I do, you know the performance center and our recruiting efforts have sort of changed that perception outside of our world anyway. There’s been a lot of, whether it be NFL players or soccer globally or anything else that have had a desire maybe to try and want to do this but never had that pathway in front of them. The pathway is now there, I say it all the time: What I’m doing internationally with all these other markets is I’m trying to create pathways. I’m bringing a recruiting team there trying to create an environment where if somebody says “Man, I love that, and I’d like to try and do that,” there’s a way for them to do that. Ronda took that path that wasn’t there before. We created that path, she came to us; she approached us probably about the same time we approached her, but the pathway was there and I think now she will open a lot of eyeballs of athletes around the world to say “Well, why can’t I?” Stephanie McMahon: “We recruit from the Olympics; we recruit from rugby, football overseas; we recruit from everywhere. I do think Rhonda has brought heightened awareness. She is arguably one of the world’s greatest athletes. She is also just a tremendous star. She just exudes this energy and charisma that you can really connect to because you have to have the total package. Athleticism alone is not enough. And I think Rhonda speaks to the caliber of athleticism that is in WWE but it also speaks to the women’s evolution, and I can’t wait to see how her presence will give the women’s evolution even more weight.”
Triple H and McMahon also talked about WrestleMania 34, the experience of the event and more. You can read the entire interview here.
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is slated to team up with WWE Hall of Famer and current Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to take on Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 34.
Her signing with the sports entertainment company was spearheaded by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon’s daughter, Stephanie, and her husband, Triple H.
The former UFC champion appeared on ESPN today promoting WrestleMania 34. During the interview, she once again discussed her desire to work with CM Punk. Here is what she had to say (transcript courtesy of 411 Mania):
“I would really love to work with CM Punk. But um, I don’t know if that’s possible. No, I wish I did. I wish I was breaking the news right now that me and CM Punk are taking over the world together, but no, I’ve got no news to break. Just pleading eyes.”
– After RAW went off-air last night, RAW Tag Team Champions The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) hit the ring to attack Roman Reigns. John Cena’s music hit and The Leader Of The Cenation came down for the save. Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment and Reigns hit a Spear – both at the same time – to send the crowd home happy.
– In the opening segment of Monday Night RAW, a Q&A session took place inside the ring between Kurt Angle, Ronda Rousey, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon – hosted by Jonathan Coachman (which was awfully similar to a UFC pre-fight press conference).
During their face-offs things got physical between the four, which led to McMahon putting Rousey through a table. Rousey and Angle will team up against Triple H and Stephanie at WrestleMania 34. It will be Rousey’s official in-ring debut for WWE.
Rousey took to Instagram to comment on being put through a table, using a quote from George Santayana:
– Elias is not currently penciled in for a match at WrestleMania 34 this weekend, however, he noted on RAW last night that he’s preparing for the greatest performance of a lifetime in New Orleans this Sunday:
WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey recently did an interview with Yahoo Sports to promote her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34. “The Rowdy One” will team up with WWE Hall Of Famer and RAW General Manager Kurt Angle in a Mixed Tag Team match to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
Rousey discussed how important it was for her to live life outside of the spotlight, get married, and enjoy life before joining WWE:
“It really was myself and Travis [Browne] planning on settling down that made me decide that I needed to go for it. We’re ready to start having kids soon and I was thinking about what I’ve left unfinished in my life because I want to entirely focus on having kids when that time comes. I took a long look at my life and thought that if I don’t try and take a shot with the WWE, I would regret it for the rest of my life.
“I want to be an example to my kids about pursuing your dreams and being able to do anything. I guess this is my way of nesting and getting ready for children. I’m trying to prove to my unborn babies that they can accomplish any dream that they want to go after.”
The ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion also discussed getting slapped by Stephanie McMahon on an episode of RAW:
“I’ve never been slapped before. Anybody who has ever been slapped tells me that it hurts more than you think. Man, when she hauled off and whacked me, my first thought was ‘Wow, that really hurt way more than I thought it would.’ Everyone was right. Slaps suck and there was a loud noise followed by the crowd’s ‘Ooooh!’ I didn’t see that coming at all.”
Rousey also said that she’s looking forward to paying McMahon back for the slap at WrestleMania:
“Oh man, I can’t wait. As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold and I cannot wait to serve her the coldest dish at WrestleMania.”
You can read Rousey’s full interview with Yahoo Sports by clicking this link here.
– WWE COO Triple H and Monday Night RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon are currently scheduled to compete in a Mixed Tag Team match against RAW General Manager Kurt Angle and ex-UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey.
This will be Rousey’s first match in her professional wrestling career. “The Game” took to Twitter to post the following video on he and Stephanie’s preparations for New Orleans, as well as what WWE means to them:
– Two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair recently launched his own line of suits with Mr. Custom Made, and currently offers 12 items ranging from $595 to $795. The Ric Flair Collection can be found via this link.
TMZ Sports posted a video reviewing Flair’s suit line, and noted Flair has sent pairs to stars such as The Rock and Jamie Foxx, among many more. Check it out: