Ronda Rousey held nothing back in her recent estimation of Vince McMahon, following the ex-Chairman’s resignation from WWE.
It’s been just under two months since McMahon’s second exit from wrestling’s top federation, this time due to Janel Grant’s damning lawsuit. Grant alleges she was sexually abused and trafficked by McMahon during her tenure with WWE. He has denied all allegations.
Ronda Rousey on Vince McMahon
Our Fight by Ronda Rousey is the ex-Superstar’s second book and is due to be released next month. The former WWE Women’s Champion does not hold back in her take on the 78-year-old billionaire.
In the memoir, Rousey calls McMahon the ‘Emperor Palpatine’ of wrestling, a nod to the Star Wars antagonist. She adds:
“It’s hard sometimes to know where the evil, unethical, slimeball character of Vince McMahon played out for the cameras ends and the actual questionably ethical, many times sued, and multiple times accused of sexual misconduct Vince McMahon begins.
“That blurred line between character and reality is a recurring theme within the WWE Universe.”
Restricting Women
As an athlete who redefined what women could do in the world of MMA, the treatment of women is understandably an important theme in the book. When discussing WWE’s Premium Live Events, Rousey suggested that the ultra-conservative views of Saudi Arabia are something McMahon would like to replicate.
“[PLEs are] held in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, as well as now twice a year in Saudi Arabia, a nation that restricts the rights of women in a way that I’m certain Vince McMahon wishes he could.”
Positive Thoughts
While McMahon is lambasted in Rousey’s memoir, that doesn’t extend to everyone in the family. Rousey has much more positive words for McMahon’s son-in-law Triple H.
“In addition to being my in-ring WrestleMania nemesis, he is arguably one of the best professional wrestlers in history and one of the better people on the business side.”
More Reading Material
Rousey’s book isn’t the only hotly-anticipated wrestling memoir set to be released. Next week, Rousey’s nemesis Becky Lynch will release her ‘The Man’ and the reviews so far have been glowing. Lynch’s new book even found its way to the White House when Lynch attended as part of the recent St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Ronda Rousey’s future in pro-wrestling remains unclear, but fans will get the chance to see her in Philadelphia this April.
The Baddest Woman on the Planet left WWE following the MMA Rules match with Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam 2023. Rousey requested to work with Baszler to ensure her friend and mentor a high-profile spot on WWE TV. As she told SE Scoops. Baszler is happy to take full credit for running Rousey out of WWE.
Now, fans will get the chance to see Rousey again, albeit outside the squared circle. WrestleCon’s official Twitter page has announced that Ronda Rousey will be making her appearance at the event during WrestleMania 40 weekend. The former Women’s Champion will be signing copies of her upcoming memoir and taking photos with fans.
In addition to signed copies of her new memoir, she will be available for pro photos, at the table photos, and autographs on personal items. For those not able to attend, there will be mail order options through @Highspotspic.twitter.com/WXl6I241Hh
While Rousey will be in Philadelphia, there’s no word on a potential surprise appearance at the two-night event. Several events from various promotions will take place over the week. In addition to WrestleMania, WWE will host Raw, SmackDown, and WWE NXT, as well as WWE NXT Stand & Deliver. WWE will also host its WrestleMania World event, a four-day convention featuring exhibits and signings with WWE Superstars.
WWE fans were eager to see Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch go one-on-one, according to Lynch, but the match never happened.
Lynch and Rousey were scheduled to face off at Survivor Series 2019 before The Man was infamously concussed by an errant punch by Nia Jax. Instead, Rousey faced Lynch’s friend and rival Charlotte Flair at the Premium Live Event.
Becky Lynch On Ronda Rousey
After Lynch won the 2019 Women’s Royal Rumble match, it seemed destined that she and Rousey would have their one-on-one encounter. After several booking changes however, Lynch’s WrestleMania 35 match would end up as a triple threat match including Flair. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Lynch reflected on the one-on-one match with Rousey never happening.
“Do I think that was the match that everyone was clamouring for? Yes it was. Everyone wanted that singles match. And I think, people thought that moment in time would be evergreen and it wasn’t. That’s OK.”
“If she ever comes back again, maybe that season will be right there. Maybe it will be spring time on that story again, but it never got back to that.”
What’s Next?
Lynch will compete at tomorrow’s WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth Premium Live Event. The Man will step into the Women’s Chamber match for the first time in her career and is a heavy favourite to win. The victor will challenge for the WWE Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 40.
It’s been years since Ronda Rousey competed in a UFC cage, but WWE’s Ivy Nile is eager to step into the Octagon with the former Women’s Champion.
Rousey last competed for WWE at SummerSlam 2023, where she lost the first-ever MMA Rules match to Shayna Baszler. After Rousey informed WWE of her plans to finish up her career at SummerSlam, WWE fast-tracked her feud with Baszler. Rousey reportedly wanted to feud with her fellow MMA horsewoman to give her friend a singles spotlight.
Ronda Rousey Vs. Ivy Nile
Before her impressive WWE career, Rousey dominated in the world of UFC and was arguably the first female fighter to become a name in the mainstream. While Rousey hasn’t fought in close to a decade, Ivy Nile is interested in throwing down. Speaking with Fightful, Nile was asked who she’d like to face in MMA.
“Is Meisha Tate still in the UFC? I think the world of her. I love her. I’m a huge fan of Ronda Rousey too. I think I would do pretty well going toe-to-toe, I think we’re better off as allies.”
More on Ivy Nile
The first female champion of NBC’s “Titan Games,” Ivy Nile has a background in CrossFit, Jiu Jitsu, and weightlifting. In 2021, she joined the Diamond Mine in WWE NXT, which would put her in a team with Brutus and Julius Creed. Last year, the three were called up to the main roster and signed with Monday Night Raw.
Vince McMahon resigned from WWE in response to earth-shattering allegations that were laid down in a lawsuit from former WWE employee Janel Grant. Although McMahon is gone, Ronda Rousey believes that his influence will not go away without some deeper cleaning.
Bruce Prichard Takes Fire
Vince McMahon had many people help him build his empire through the years. Bruce Prichard has been a player in many historic WWE moments, and he has also acted as one of McMahon’s right-hand men for years. Vince is gone, but Bruce is still around.
Ronda Rousey logged onto Twitter/X, and she had a lot to say on the day of the Royal Rumble event. The former Women’s Champion posted to say that as long as Bruce Prichard is still with WWE, Vince McMahon’s presence will always be felt.
Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before.
Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before
Bruce Prichard’s name was not brought up in Grant’s lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis. Brock Although he was not mentioned explicitly, Brock Lesnar’s name was heavily alluded to.
Lesnar was pulled from the Royal Rumble event after his name was attached to Grant’s lawsuit. It was noted that Vince McMahon allegedly used her as a bargaining chip to secure a contract renewal. The Superstar in question was not named, but they were referred to as a former UFC Heavyweight Champion.
There May Be More To Uncover
This latest set of allegations against Vince McMahon cause shockwaves throughout the pro wrestling world that may not be settled yet. The lawsuit explicitly stated that the accuser was stepping forward for those unable to do so but expressing the desire to speak.
‘Ms. Grant is filing this lawsuit not just to address her own suffering, but also to act for those who are afraid to speak out. Plaintiff Janel Grant is a former employee of WWE who was the victim of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and trafficking at WWE.’
SE Scoops will have continued coverage of Vince McMahon’s ongoing drama, and all necessary updates.
Ronda Rousey’s plans for WWE WrestleMania 39 remain uncertain, with the former Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion still out with an injury.
During last week’s SmackDown, Rousey appeared in a sling as she accompanied Shayna Baszler for the latter’s match with Tegan Nox.
While some had initially believed the injury was just part of the storyline as Baszler and Rousey had brawled with Nox & Natalya, it has been clarified that she is legitimately hurt.
The Injury
It has been reported that Rousey’s injury is actually a reaggravated injury that she suffered years earlier.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that Rousey is believed to be dealing with a “hairline fracture.”
Meltzer added that the injury occurred during a training session and not from anything physical that transpired on TV or at a WWE live event.
Typically, a hairline fracture takes a few weeks to fully recover from but can require surgery in rare cases.
WrestleMania 39 Plans
This injury could not come at a worse time given that Rousey and WWE are now just 22 days away from WrestleMania 39.
As one of the biggest mainstream stars on WWE’s roster, Rousey was always booked to be part of the show.
In his report, Meltzer states that the plan remains for Rousey to compete for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships alongside Baszler next month.
There is the possibility that WWE Women’s Tag Champions Lita and Becky Lynch will have to compete twice at WrestleMania, as they have been confirmed for a six-woman tag-team match.
Although Ronda Rousey is dealing with an injury, she is not expected to miss WWE WrestleMania 39 in April.
According to PWTorch, the top WWE star has aggravated a prior injury, but the report stated that it wouldn’t prevent her from competing at WrestleMania next month in Los Angeles.
Rousey was originally set to team with Shayna Baszler to take on Tegan Nox and Natalya on Friday’s episode of SmackDown. However, plans had to change due to Rousey’s injury.
Plans Change
WWE did an angle on the show where it was revealed that the two teams got into a brawl backstage at the show earlier in the day. The announcers would later explain that Rousey suffering an injury in the brawl caused the tag team match to be nixed and a singles match between Baszler and Nox was made.
Baszler won the match via armbar while Rousey was with her good friend during the match while wearing a sling on her arm.
As of late, Baszler and Rousey have been teaming together. Rousey has stated that she wants to have a tag team run with Baszler, which is reportedly the direction for both stars by WWE as they’re supposed to challenge for the Women’s Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania 39.
WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair will defend her title at WrestleMania 39 against Asuka, but this is not the match WWE had planned for the EST.
Belair’s reign as Raw Women’s Champion began at WrestleMania 38 last April, and the popular Superstar’s reign is the second longest in history (behind Becky Lynch.)
Asuka, a former Raw Women’s Champion in her own right, earned the title match by winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber match earlier this month.
Change of Plans
While Asuka and Belair are more than capable of an exceptional match this April, this isn’t what WWE had planned.
Initial plans for WrestleMania 39 saw Belair defending her title against Charlotte Flair, according to a report from Fightful Select.
Those plans changed when Ronda Rousey informed WWE of plans to take January off, and thus Flair was brought back from her hiatus earlier than planned.
Flair’s return saw the Queen capture the SmackDown Women’s Championship from Rousey on the final SmackDown of 2022, and the Belair match nixed.
Charlotte Flair will defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 39 against 2023 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley.
Rousey at WrestleMania
With Rousey out of the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championship pictures, there has been speculation about what she will do at WrestleMania 39.
It has been reported that WWE’s plan is for Rousey and Shayna Baszler to challenge for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships this April.
A match between the MMA fighters and Damage CTRL is interesting, given that the trio of Bayley, Dakota Kai, and IYO SKY are expected to face Becky Lynch, Trish Stratus and Lita at WrestleMania 39.
Lita and Lynch will challenge Kai and SKY for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on tonight’s episode of Raw.
It seems WWE may have a new match in mind for WrestleMania 39 in April.
As we get closer to WrestleMania, WWE is making clear decisions on what matches will be on the card. The company has confirmed three matches for WrestleMania 39, including the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.
They have also started teasing potential matchups like Brock Lesnar vs. Omos and Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins. However, it also seems like WWE could be changing their minds on one particular match.
WrestleMania 39 Match Change
On Feb. 6, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler would challenge Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and IYO Sky) for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 39. Since Rousey’s return, WWE has started to have her and Baszler team up more instead of positioning her as a singles competitor.
Fans may remember that she lost her Smackdown Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair on the Dec. 31, 2022 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. WWE has moved on to Flair defending her title against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania, instead of a rematch with Rousey.
However, a new report from WON claims that Rousey will in fact have a marquee match at WrestleMania 39.
Ronda Rousey’s WrestleMania Match
“Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey will challenge for the women’s tag titles. It was originally against Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai, the champions, said the report. It continues, “… Lita & Becky Lynch face Sky & Kai, and WrestleMania is about marquee matches, and Lita & Lynch as a team against Baszler & Rousey is a bigger match.”
Lita and Becky Lynch will face Damage CTRL on the Feb. 27 episode of Monday Night Raw for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. If the report is accurate, Lita and Lynch may defeat Damage CTRL to win the tag titles, and WWE could start to build toward Lita and Lynch against Rousey and Baszler. It’s also unclear what the entire Damage CTRL (including Bayley) group will do for WrestleMania 39 if the WON report is accurate.
It’s important to note that WWE has yet to share the entire card, and while it’s reported, it has yet to happen. Fans must see how this upcoming Monday Night Raw episode will play out for the women’s tag titles.
WWE has added SmackDown star Ronda Rousey to the lineup for Monday’s episode of Raw.
Both WWE’s Events website and the Van Del Arena website are advertising Rousey for the show from Grand Rapids, Michigan. As of this writing, Shayna Baszler is not currently listed for the show, although that doesn’t mean she won’t be there with her good friend.
As of this writing, WWE has not officially announced Rousey for the show. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Dakota Kai and IYO SKY are scheduled to defend against Becky Lynch and WWE Hall of Famer Lita on Monday’s Raw.
The Angle
It’s been reported that Rousey and Baszler are expected to challenge Kai and SKY for the titles at WrestleMania 39 this April so it’s possible that WWE shoots an angle to set up the future title match on this show.
Here is the updated card for Monday’s episode:
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & IYO SKY) vs. Becky Lynch & Lita
Asuka vs. Carmella
Candice LeRae vs. Piper Niven
Will Brock Lesnar show up and accept Omos’ challenge to a match at WrestleMania?
Liv Morgan finally achieved her life’s dream and became the SmackDown women’s champion last year. Her title run, however, didn’t last for very long and it ended with a devastating loss against Ronda Rousey. Such a loss would affect anyone else negatively but according to Liv, it has only made her fiercer.
The former champion was the most recent guest on Out of Character podcast. When asked about the loss to the former UFC champion and how it has affected her, Morgan said that she now has nothing left to lose:
“I have so much room to play, which I really appreciate. I feel like passing out and losing my title the way that it did. I had worked so hard for that and then for it to be taken away. I have nothing left to lose. I have nothing else to lose and I feel like my back is against the wall. So I’m ready and willing to do anything and everything that I need to do to eventually get my championship back.
So if that means putting myself through pain, putting others through pain – I’m down and ready for it all. I’m having so much fun with it, and I’m enjoying it. I enjoy kind of seeing how far I can go. How far I can be pushed and how far I can push others. How far they can push me. It’s been really cool.”
Liv Morgan and Cash
While Liv Morgan herself has been focused on her career, many of her friends have made strides in their personal lives. One such friend is Liv’s former tag team partner Sarah Logan, who became a mother in February 2021. She gave birth to a son who they named Raymond Cash Rowe. Speaking about her relationship with Cash, Morgan revealed her funny interactions with him:
“It’s cool to see Cash every week. He does not let me do anything. He loves the crashpad right. And so we’ll be playing in the crash pad. He’s playing in the crash pad. Then I’ll like go to stand on it and he’ll grab my hand and I’m like ‘Oh, cute’ and then he walks me off of it. He’s like ‘noo.’
Last week during live events we were playing in the ring. I like barrel rolled in the ring and I like rolled to his feet. He rolled me out. He doesn’t want me involved in anything. I’m like ‘no, I am aunty Livie. I’m the cool aunt.'”
Liv Morgan’s Out of Character interview premiers on YouTube later today:
A long-asked question about IO Shirai’s name change may have gotten answered.
WWE surprised wrestling fans with the return of IYO Sky (FKA IO Shirai) at Summerslam on July 30, 2022. She made her return alongside Bayley and Dakota Kai to confront Becky Lynch and Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. At the time, the commentators referred to Sky by her former name. However, the next night she had her name changed to what it is today.
The company has yet to share why it wanted Sky to change her name publicly. Name-changing in WWE happens on a case-by-case basis for new talent. However, Sky’s name seems to result in WWE wanting to own her IO Shirai, according to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer.
Meltzer was asked a question on Twitter about why WWE changed Sky’s name, which he answered, “They wanted to own her WWE name, and she had used the name Io Shirai her entire career, so they couldn’t own it.” Someone also asked why Chelsea Green, who returned at the Royal Rumble on Jan 28; however, Meltzer has yet to respond.
What’s Next For IYO SKY?
(WWE)
It seems that Sky is headed for a big match alongside her tag team partner Kai at WrestleMania 39. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter on Feb. 6 reported that Sky and Kai would defend their Women’s Tag Team Championship against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler at the event.
While this is the reported plan WWE has, the company hasn’t acknowledged or hinted that the match will happen. Rousey is also not involved in any storylines at the moment. She lost the Smackdown Women’s Championship to Charlotte Flair at the Friday Night Smackdown episode on Dec. 30, 2022. Although WWE could’ve had Rousey challenge Flair in a rematch, it doesn’t seem like it will happen.
If Sky and Kai are defending their titles against Rousey and Baszler, WWE fans should expect a build to the match soon.
WrestleMania 39 is coming soon, and it is shaping up to be a massive event this year. There could be several big matches taking place in the event, and a recent report only adds to this excitement.
Several more matches have been decided on for WWE’s biggest event of the year. The following matches are now “locked in” according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter:
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Universal title
Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women’s title
John Cena vs. Austin Theory
Rousey & Shayna Baszler challenging Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai for Women’s Tag Team titles
Bianca Belair vs. the Elimination Chamber winner for the Raw Women’s title
Additional matches rumored for the event include Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul.
Cena and Rousey’s Road to WrestleMania
John Cena returned to the ring in 2022 on the final SmackDown episode of the year. He competed in a match with Kevin Owens against The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn, and he is rumored to be competing at WrestleMania 39 in April 2023.
Cena fueled these rumors by making a post on Instagram which had Logan Paul holding the WWE Championship, but WWE is going in a different direction for the 16-time World Champion’s big match.
Additionally, Cena is set to start filming for the upcoming R-Rated comedy “Ricky Stanicky” alongside Zac Efron next month. Still, the filming schedule won’t prevent him from working at WrestleMania. Whether Cena will face off against United States Champion Austin Theory remains to be seen, but Theory has been pushing for a match with Cena for years and recently filmed a backstage segment with him in Tampa, FL.
As for Ronda Rousey, recent reports about her suggested that she was supposed to face Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 39, but plans for that were scrapped. Ronda dropped the SmackDown Women’s Championship to a returning Charlotte Flair on the December 30th episode of SmackDown.
The talent from WWE NXT are still in the dark as to whether they will be used for tomorrow’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event.
The show will be the 36th Rumble event (37 if you include the Greatest Royal Rumble) and will be the sixth year in a row that there will be a men’s and women’s match.
This will also be the first Royal Rumble for Triple H following his appointment as WWE’s Head of Creative and Head of Talent Relations last July.
NXT Power
At this time, just seven spots in the Women’s Royal Rumble match have been filled, while 16 for the men’s match have been claimed.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that as of midweek, NXT talent, particularly the women, were waiting to hear if anyone was being brought into the Rumble.
WWE has previously used NXT talent to boost the numbers in previous Royal Rumbles.
It was reported ahead of last year’s Royal Rumble event that WWE did not want to use women from NXT for that year’s match, following the brand’s relaunch as NXT 2.0.
The belief at the time was that with NXT 2.0 once again being a developmental brand, it didn’t make sense for these ‘rookies’ to be put in the Women’s Rumble.
No Rousey
The women of NXT may not be sure of their Royal Rumble fates, but we do know that Ronda Rousey will not compete.
The Observer adds that as of mid-week, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion was not going to be in the Rumble match.
The feeling is that they didn’t want to marginalize Rousey’s star power by making her just one of 30 names in the match.
Ronda Rousey returned to WWE after a near three-year hiatus at last year’s Royal Rumble event, winning the Women’s Rumble match.
The WWE Royal Rumble will take place this Saturday, Jan. 28. The matches are set; however, it seems the company changed their plans for the women’s title picture for the event.
WWE surprised fans with Charlotte Flair’s return and the defeat of Ronda Rousey for the Smackdown Women’s Championship on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. Before her match with Flair, Rousey defeated Raquel Rodriguez to retain the title. However, it’s reported WWE didn’t initially plan for the Rousey and Rodriguez match to happen that soon.
(via WWE)
Fightful Select reports that the company wanted the Rousey and Rodriguez title match to occur at the Royal Rumble. The report also shared that WWE had thought of having Flair work with Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair.
“…Ronda Rousey Smackdown Women’s Title defense against Raquel Rodriguez that took place on December 30 was actually originally planned to go down almost a full month later. Fightful has gained information that displays that the match was set for the WWE Royal Rumble as of early December,” said the report.
It also added that “…Another interesting note is that several WWE plans have changed as a result of this in relation to it. At the same period, Charlotte Flair was tentatively scheduled on a “suggested matches” list to wrestle Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship. Rhea Ripley was set to take on Rousey, but that’s when Rousey was still Champion.”
(via WWE)
What’s Next For Ronda Rousey?
After her defeat to Flair, it’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rousey. The report notes that WWE gave her different creative options before Dec. 30. However, it didn’t work out, and they went with Flair defeating Rousey after her match with Rodriguez. It also didn’t share the options that WWE presented to the former champion.
The company could have Rousey challenge Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. However, Flair is working with Sonya Deville, which could get added it the Royal Rumble card. Rousey will have to wait to see what WWE has planned for her.
WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair made her surprise return to the company last month. She has come out to share that she felt overwhelmed by the crowd’s response to her comeback.
Flair made her return to WWE on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night Smackdown, where she confronted Ronda Rousey. She was met with a positive reaction from the crowd, working as a babyface. Before her return, WWE had her acting as a heel. Flair defeated Rousey to win the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
In an interview with Joseph Staszewski for the New York Post, Flair shared her experience from the Dec. 30 return. She spoke openly about how the crowd response had overwhelmed her.
“I was very overwhelmed. For me to get overwhelmed out there, I’m usually controlling the emotions and the pace and where I’m at. I was just like, I had never had that comeback moment. I never had that feel-good [moment]. Maybe when I won [at] WrestleMania 32, but it wasn’t a surprise. It was a big moment in my career, but no one’s ever missed me. I’m always there”
– Charlotte Flair
What Kept Charlotte From Returning Sooner?
Flair has stayed off WWE TV since her loss to Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash on May. 8, 2022. Before her return, she had stayed off of WWE TV for several months to enjoy her personal life and take care of dental procedures. She and AEW star Andrade El Idolo got married in May. 27, 2022. During her interview with the Post, Flair shared that time away alongside her husband was a needed break, and she had time to relax.
“Usually I’m thinking, even if I do go to the beach while I’m working, I could go for a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but I’m thinking, What am I doing on TV Friday, where are my live events,” said Flair. She continued,
“To completely be disconnected and in the moment was so nice, and getting that one-on-one time with Manny [Andrade] that I never have had before, it was priceless.”
Since her return, she has feuded with Sonya Deville. Flair defeated Deville for the Smackdown’s Women’s Championship on the Jan. 6 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. However, it seems WWE has teased that they could have another match.
WWE is just over a week away from this year’s Royal Rumble, and the company has been discussing the event in recent meetings.
Fightful Select reports that while several veterans have contacted WWE about making Royal Rumble appearances, WWE was said to have been leaning out of that in some cases in favor of what they call “non-traditional surprises.”
It’s unclear what that meant. Creative and producers were soliciting pitches for such a thing. In 2022, WWE was adamant about leaning out of NXT names appearing in the match.
Ronda Rousey’s Status
The report did note that as of last week, Ronda Rousey wasn’t planned for the Royal Rumble PPV when she lost the title. She dropped the SmackDown Women’s Championship to a returning Charlotte Flair on the December 30 edition of SmackDown.
Until December, Rousey was scheduled for the show in a singles match.
Fightful was told that “WWE was very confident in their women’s roster as is with the hires and call-ups over the last year, and how it would play into the Royal Rumble match.”
WWE needed to call in several veterans for last year’s match because of mass talent releases, causing a depleted roster.
Longtime indie wrestler Jason Cade has been brought in to help with the Royal Rumble while TJ Wilson will be on hand, leading the charge unlike last year as he wasn’t around. WWE had to bring in Fit Finlay to help.
WWE is gearing up to celebrate 30 years of Monday Night Raw on January 23rd.
One big name won’t be making the show as the company plans to bring in several top stars and legends for the special occasion.
WWE Hall of Famers Sean ‘X-Pac’ and the Big Red Monster Kane are scheduled to appear on the show that night. Tatanka and Ric Flair have also publicly stated that he received an invitation.
Ronda Rousey Pulled
Pwinsider.com reports that Ronda Rousey is no longer being advertised for the show. This serves as a bit of a surprise, but backs up the disclaimer that the card is subject to change. It’s unclear what WWE had in mind for her at the show nor why she was pulled.
The current advertised Main Event for the special is Austin Theory vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE United States Championship.
In recent months, Rousey has been paired with Shayna Baszler. She lost the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte Flair last month on Friday Night SmackDown.
We will have to see what WWE does to celebrate 30 years of Raw, but it is presumed that Triple H will still be in charge of things when the day comes around and load up the event.
There are a lot of questions about the future of WWE right now, and Ronda Rousey doesn’t have the answers.
It was reported this week that the promotion has been sold to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, though neither WWE nor that fund has confirmed that.
The Public Investment Fund controls $620 billion in assets with Saudi Royal Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman serving as Chairman of the fund.
Rousey
No matter who ends up owning WWE, odds are that Ronda Rousey will continue to be prominently featured on programming.
During a YouTube Gaming stream, Rousey was asked by a fan whether she will be appearing at the February 3, SmackDown in Greenville, South Carolina.
Rousey did not confirm her appearance for the show and instead highlighted just how much is changing at this time in WWE.
“If you haven’t noticed, everything’s a little bit in flux with the WWE right now. I don’t think anybody knows what’s going on with anybody this week, let alone weeks from now.”
Ronda Rousey.
Names advertised for that particular SmackDown include Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, the Brawling Brutes, Sami Zayn, Undisputed WWE Tag Champions The Usos, and WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair.
Unhappy
WWE’s roster was far from thrilled with the return of Vince McMahon, as morale had improved significantly following his retirement.
With reports of a purchase from Saudi Arabia, things have only gotten worse, with talent being said to be “p*ssed off” over the potential deal.
The card for WWE WrestleMania 39 continues to come together as Ronda Rousey’s opponent at the upcoming event has been revealed, and it’s not Becky Lynch.
WrestlingNews.co reports plans for the match between Lynch and Rousey have been scrapped. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio today that he was told the match is “not likely,” while another source told him that plans for it are “dead.”
Rousey’s Opponent
WrestlingNews.co’s report noted that Rousey is scheduled to defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 39. It’s unclear who Lynch will be facing at the show.
According to WrestlingNews.co, the other planned matches for WrestleMania 39 include Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes or Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending against The Rock or Cody Rhodes, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, and Logan Paul vs. John Cena.
Rousey and Lynch headlined WrestleMania 35 in 2019 alongside Charlotte Flair, marking the first-ever female WrestleMania main event, before Rousey went on hiatus until she returned to the company earlier this year.
WWE had reportedly been planning to do the match at WrestleMania 39 since shortly after WrestleMania 38.
Current WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey has offered up her thoughts about potentially chasing a Tag Team Title run.
Rousey recently took to her latest YouTube live stream and answered some questions about her professional wrestling career. One such question being if she’d be interested in going after the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Currently, Rousey is a singles star at the top of her game, in the midst of her second reign as SmackDown Women’s Champion. However, despite mostly being known as a singles star, Rousey has no problem going after more gold with a partner.
“Yes. I’m happy just to have a tag title. I don’t need a singles title. A tag run would be fun. I mean, both is cool. I’ve been doing singles for so long, I’m ready to change it up. That’s another thing, too, people forget I only have a year-and-a-half of in-ring experience.“
Rousey has been with WWE since signing with the company back in 2018. Since, she has had a legendary career with WWE in just a few year’s time. Rousey was one-third of the first-ever women’s match to headline a WrestleMania card.
She is also a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion and one-time RAW Women’s Champion. Rousey is also a Royal Rumble winner, winning the 2022 Rumble earlier this year.
Ronda Rousey says she put a lot of effort into her Survivor Series match against Shotzi and feels terrible about the way things played out.
Rousey put her SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against the #1 contender back on November 26. The match was widely criticized for looking sloppy and unprofessional, but it was an awkward DDT on the ring apron that got the most attention. Wrestling pundits and fans roasted Rousey on social media, with some of them calling for her to be fired.
The Baddest Woman on the Planet addressed the match during her latest YouTube stream. She explains there were some difficulties preparing for the bout, the match itself was abruptly cut short and doesn’t understand why she’s getting more flack than certain male performers who have injured their opponents.
Rousey said she’s the one who pitched the infamous apron DDT spot, because she knows it’s something Shotzi does in a lot of her matches. She has her own wrestling ring for training, but was unable to rehearse the DDT because the ropes on her ring are too lose.
“I fucked it up because I was so concerned with keeping somebody safe. A lot of time, when you see me do something for the first time, it’s the first time I ever did it. I was really concerned with keeping Shotzi safe and I made it look bad. You know what, sorry. Apparently, I deserve to be fired or burned. It reminds me of Monty Python, ‘BURN HER!'”
– Ronda Rousey
According to Rousey, there’s a double standard when it comes to critiquing female pro wrestlers. Nobody called for Ridge Holland to be fired when he accidentally broke Big E’s neck, but people are calling for her to be released after a match she admits didn’t live up to expextations.
“There weren’t calls to fire anybody when Madcap Moss and Big E were spiked on their heads,” said Rousey. “‘BURN HER ANYWAY!’ I’m so sorry that I was so concerned with keeping someone safe that I made the bump look bad.”
Rousey was especially bummed because the crowd in Boston was hostile towards her and she loves winning over a hostile crowd. Unfortunately, time constraints and the pacing of the show led WWE officials to call an audible and cut their match short before they could continue winning the crowd back.
“I was bummed though because we worked on that match for two weeks and we were really excited about it,” she said. “I felt like I really failed Shotzi. I really wanted to showcase her shit and make all of her shit look great and show everyone how great she is. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to comeback for this run, to showcase the new talent.”
Rousey says the match fans saw is not the match they had planned out. A few spots went wrong and fans are judging them on an incomplete product.
“We literally only had eight minutes to do everything. When we hit eight minutes, ‘alright, you gotta go,’ I’m not gonna argue. They pay me to show up and do what they say to do. I’m bummed though. I feel like I failed Shotzi. Sorry. I’ll do better. I’ll make it up to her. I’ll let her beat my ass.”
Ronda Rousey is in the middle of another reign as the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion.
Rousey made her most recent title defense against Shotzi at Survivor Series, where she was a heavy favorite to win the match, and that’s exactly what happened. The company is looking ahead to its next premium live event, Royal Rumble, next month.
When Vince McMahon decided to call up Raquel Rodriguez from NXT to the main roster, the idea was that she would become one of the top stars in the company as the former CEO and Chairman saw big things in her. She was also booked strongly in NXT under Triple H, and “The Game” has continued to be a supporter of hers on the main roster.
Royal Rumble Plans
(WWE)
Rodriguez is set for her biggest match to date at the Royal Rumble as WrestleNews.co reports the plan is for her to challenge Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Rodriguez has been selling her left arm after being attacked by Rousey as last week on SmackDown, Rousey forced Rodriguez to tap out to the armbar submission. It’s unclear what WWE has planned for Rodriguez after this show.
Still, Rousey is scheduled to go into WrestleMania as the champion, indicating she will retain the title at the Royal Rumble.
Legado Del Fantasma appeared on WWE’s The Bump earlier today. Santos Escobar will be facing Ricochet this Friday night in the finals of the SmackDown World Cup.
The winner of the tournament will go on to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. Ricochet advanced to the finals of the tournament last week after Gunther and Imperium distracted Braun Strowman. The distraction allowed Ricochet to roll-up the Monster of All Monsters for the pinfall victory.
Legado Del Fantasma was asked about The Bloodline during their appearance on the show. Joaquin Wilde said of course they want to be the ones that dethrone The Usos and The Bloodline.
Zelina Vega then took a shot at The Wiseman Paul Heyman and claimed she was at a higher level than him.
“Yeah, I mean, I can see me going up against Paul Heyman,” said Vega. “Paul already knows that I’m not only on his level but higher. I’m pretty sure when it comes to The Bloodline, like I said, give it time because I have my eyes on Paul. Hey Paul.” [From 51:16 to 51:34]
Vega also poked fun at SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey during her appearance on WWE The Bump.
“I think Ronda is difficult to beat overall as a human,” said Vega. “I’m not stupid to that. But you also have to find where is the kink in her armor and I found it. Oh yeah, I found it but it took a lot of research. But listen, again, she’s dominant.
There is nothing that she can’t do. But when it comes to brains, and again I’ve said this before. She has the brawn but I’m not so sure she has the brains, and definitely not to my extent. So, I kind of did find the kink in her armor. And when I’m ready to expose that, I hope she is too.” [53:32 54:08]
Ronda Rousey Enters the Arena as a Playable Legendary Champion in the Acclaimed ‘RAID: Shadow Legends’ Collection RPG
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – November 30, 2022– Plarium, a global leader in developing F2P mobile and PC games with more than 435 million users worldwide, announced today that Ronda Rousey, WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion and former UFC Bantamweight World Champion, is now her own Legendary Champion in Plarium’s acclaimed collection fantasy RPG, RAID: Shadow Legends. Beginning today through February 28th, the Ronda Legendary Champion will be available for free to all RAID players after 7 days of logging in to the game.
“We are thrilled to have one of the world’s most renowned athletes join the ranks of RAID’s Banner Lord Champions, a title she is already quite familiar with in her career,” said Ronen Gross, VP of business development at Plarium. “Her love of gaming and natural gifts in mixed martial arts, judo, and wrestling made this partnership a perfect fit. As expected, her Ronda Champion will mete out punishment with fiery gauntlet fists, similar to her real-life counterpart, and will be a valuable addition to any team.”
Ronda will unveil her Champion during a Facebook Gaming channel stream in the coming weeks where she will share her design influences, as well as special skills and move sets that players can use in-game. The Ronda Legendary Champion joins RAID’s 700+ unique champions and will be usable in all game modes including the single-player campaign (PVE), Dungeons, the Arena, Faction Wars, Doom Tower and Clan vs. Clan Tournaments.
“As someone who loves games with strong female leads, it’s exciting to actually become one,” said Rousey. “I look forward to sharing my champion with the RAID fans on my channel and helping them level up their game using her unique skill sets.”
After February 28th, Ronda will no longer be available through the 7-day loyalty program but can then be secured by only new players during a special in-game event up until May 15. Players can also opt-in to receive in-game promo codes through February 28th that unlock Ronda-related rewards.
