SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte recently spoke with Brian Fritz of Sporting News to promote Tribute To The Troops and WWE’s support of the US military.
“We forget that people are away at war,” said Charlotte. “The monotony of our lives that we get caught up in work and friends and family and I think we forget that there are people fighting for our freedom and I think we take that for granted. Having that opportunity and experience last year and to be able to have the show this year, knowing what it means to them, to have a little change-up in their day, I was extremely honored to be a part of Tribute this year. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we didn’t do it at an arena, that we went to them.”
Charlotte also spoke about former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion possibly joining WWE. With Rousey currently training for her first professional wrestling match, Charlotte thinks Rousey would bring a lot of star power to WWE and says, “she knows where to find me.”
“What’s exciting about Ronda being a part of WWE is all the different eyes that she attracts towards the women’s division as a whole,” said Flair. “I think that’s what cool. Ronda is an attraction. Any buzz that puts the women on a different or a higher level, I’m all for.
She’s a star that would be a crossover star into our world and that’s exciting. That goes to show how far the women have come, that someone like Ronda Rousey wants to be a part of something that all the women have collectively built. My message to Ronda would be she knows where to find me. I’m on ‘SmackDown Live’ every Tuesday.”
WWE’s Tribute To The Troops special airs tonight on the USA Network as part of “WWE Week.”
One fight Ronda Rousey fans never got to see was her against Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. Evidently, Cyborg is so disappointed she never faced Rousey in an MMA fight that she is willing to follow her into pro-wrestling and face her at WrestleMania.
Earlier this year, Cyborg and Becky Lynch went back-and-forth on Twitter and teased a possible match at SummerSlam:
Cyborg vs. Rousey at WrestleMania
Cyborg recently spoke with FloCombat about the possibility of facing Rousey in a wrestling ring.
“I think Ronda Rousey in the WWE would be an amazing thing,” Cyborg told FloCombat on Monday. “I just recently attended my first WWE event live when RAW was in [Los Angeles] filming and I absolutely loved the experience. If she really is done fighting and not returning to the UFC, I think the idea of a WWE match between us for the fans is still something everyone could get excited about.”
“Could the Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighter beat the American shoot fighting champion? That seems like a pretty natural storyline to a WrestleMania if you ask me. I know 70,000 fans who would still be willing to pack a stadium to see Cyborg vs. Rousey even if it took place in a three-rope ring instead of a cage.”
While a match with Rousey seems unlikely, Cyborg does have one pro-wrestler interested in facing her:
According to a report from USA Today, Ronda Rousey’s WWE signing is close to being finalized.
Since meeting with WWE this summer, Ronda has been training with Brian Kendrick in California and also at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Her longtime training partner, Shayna Baszler, is expected to debut on NXT shortly. Jessamyn Duke has also been spotted training with Kendrick.
Ronda Rousey has never officially retired from the UFC, though Dana White has said publicly he does not expect her to fight again. She is still in the USADA testing pool for active UFC fighters, however.
Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey is about to launch her official website, RondaRousey.com. In a teaser clip she tweeted hyping the site, we can see the first (brief) footage of Rousey’s pro wrestling training.
It’s no secret that Ronda Rousey is gearing up for her first big pro wrestling match, rumored to be taking place at WrestleMania 34 this coming April. In the video she posted on Friday, Rousey is shown training at the WWE Performance Center and also what appears to be Brian Kendrick’s pro wrestling school at Santino Bros. Wrestling Academy in Southern California.
You can see the video she posted below. Hopefully we’ll get an extended look at her in-ring training soon.
– Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was at last night’s NXT event in which she interacted with fans and hung out with some of the NXT talent. Kairi Sane Tweeted out her reaction to getting to meet “The Rowdy One”:
@RondaRousey I’m soooo glad I met you!!? Thank you so much, Ronda??
– WWE posted the following video in which they take a look at Charlotte Flair and ex-WWE Women’s Champion Michelle McCool teasing a potential dream match against one another. McCool retired from WWE in 2011 as a two-time Women’s and two-time Divas Champion. She recently noted on Twitter that she’s been “dying for someone to ask” her for one more match:
Ex-UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has long been rumored to be making the career switch over to professional wrestling, and it looks like her in-ring debut could come as soon as WrestleMania 34. Rumors have been running rampant regarding who Rousey will face in her debut match, with a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. the Four Horsewomen of WWE match leading the charge.
Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer confirmed these reports by claiming the Four Horsewomen vs. Four Horsewomen is confirmed for “The Show Of Shows.” Early rumors had the match happening later this month at Survivor Series, however, those plans were pushed back to allow the four mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters to extend their in-ring training. Another argument that was made indicated that Rousey’s in-ring debut will bring a ton of publicity, so it makes sense to do it on as big a platform as WrestleMania.
If all goes well after the match, WWE will then begin to build towards a singles feud with Rousey – most likely against either Stephanie McMahon or Charlotte Flair.
Former UFC champ Ronda Rousey’s WWE future seems to be right on track to kickoff at WrestleMania 34. Per a report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE officials are planning to do a Four Horsewomen of MMA vs. Four Horsewomen of WWE match; featuring the teams of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
The match is being targeted for WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans next year despite rumors that it could be going down at Survivor Series next month in Houston. One reason the match was pushed back was due to Survivor Series having a RAW vs. SmackDown theme to it. It also gives Rousey, Duke, and Shafir the ability to train their in-ring skills up a bit longer.
Baszler continues to train at the WWE Performance Center under her NXT deal, following her involvement in the Mae Young Classic where she was a finalist, and Rousey was at the Performance Center this past week as well. At this time there is no update on the planned Rousey vs. Flair singles match that was originally rumored for WrestleMania.
WWE’s Women’s division has been picking up momentum in recent months. The recent Mae Young Classic highlighted female talent from around the world, and the imminent arrival of Asuka to RAW holds the potential for a great step forward that all superstars want to be a part of.
Kurt Angle’s teasing of a Women’s Elimination Chamber match further demonstrates just how much development and progress is being planned and made within the division.
Charlotte Flair has recently made her return to the ring, challenging Natalya for her SmackDown Live title. Along the way, Charlotte has also teamed up with Becky Lynch and shown a clear change from her previous heel stance as The Queen to become a face. Although the change has not been as successful, this firmly enables Charlotte to be on the same team as the other former Four Horse Women.
While Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch have been able to remain in action, Bailey had to recover from a shoulder injury that was picked up during a match with Nia Jax. Bailey has since returned and been able to compete in recent matches.
With Survivor Series looming, this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter has presented new details about The Four Horse Women of MMA undergoing extensive wrestling training, adding actions to their previous verbal challenges with WWE’s Four Horse Women.
Shayna Baszler began training at the WWE Performance Center, while Ronda Rousey has been training in California with Brian Kendrick. Marina Shafir, fiancée of Roderick Strong, has been training in Orlando, and Jessamyn Duke has been training for the last few months at the Santino Bros Wrestling Academy in California.
It’s clear that preparations are underway for the MMA superstars to make their way to WWE, and that this match up will come together at some point, however whether this happens in time for Survivor Series, as rumours have suggested, is another question.
Opinion:
Another big question that will have a lasting impact on the women’s division is: will Rousey, Shafir, Duke, and Baszler remain in the WWE Universe beyond one in ring showdown, or whether they will be given a contract that sees them join the women’s division? The potential problem comes from the number of available spaces in the division, with the added MMA superstars taking up four slots, will there be enough space for anyone from NXT be able to break through? I personally believe that the next step would be to create women’s tag team champships, which has never been able to take flight previously due to numbers.
TMZ caught up with Rousey at an airport this week and asked if she will be signing with WWE. Rousey, a longtime fan who has reportedly been training for her in-ring debut, gave a coy answer.
“If you were a real fan, would you really wanna know? I enjoy it more that way, and I don’t wanna ruin anything.”
Her husband, UFC heavyweight Travis Browne, was asked if he’d be joining Rousey in WWE. Implying that he’s also considering a WWE appearance, Browne said, “We’re still making decisions on my part … I’m not gonna say no!”
Stephanie McMahon has not forgotten Ronda Rousey getting the best of her at WrestleMania 31 and sounds like she’s looking for revenge.
Rousey most recently appeared at the Mae Young Classic and we certainly have not seen the last of her in a WWE ring. While SmackDown Live star Charlotte has accepted Rousey’s challenge to meet ‘any time, anywhere,’ Stephanie’s name has been in the mix as a potential opponent for Rousey at WrestleMania 34.
TMZ caught up with Stephanie McMahon this week and and asked her about the rumors of Ronda Rousey wrestling for WWE. Stephanie made it clear the door is wide open for Rousey to compete under the WWE banner.
In a direct statement to the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion, McMahon said, “Ronda, the offer still stands, we would love to have you in WWE.”
When asked if she’d consider being Rousey’s opponent, she said, “anything is possible.”
Your can check out Stephanie’s comments to TMZ about Ronda Rousey here:
Charlotte Flair was recently interviewed by the New York Post and discussed Ronda Rousey and Cyborg potentially working in WWE. Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn had a confrontation with Charlotte, Bayley and Becky Lynch backstage during the Mae Young Classic tournament. Rousey was interviewed about fellow Four Horsewoman Shayna Baszler being in the tournament.
In her interview with New York Post, Charlotte stated that it is great that Rousey and Cyborg want to be a part of WWE because it is drawing more attention to the women’s division as a whole. Here is what Charlotte said about Cyborg and Rousey wanting to come to WWE:
“I think it is great because whether Ronda or Cyborg want to be a part of the company, it is still drawing more attention to the women’s division as a whole. Anytime outsiders who aren’t necessarily our main audience are interested, ‘Oh, they want to go to WWE. Who do they want to wrestle?’ I just think it is exciting. I just think it puts more eyes on us.”
Charlotte also spoke about the fact that neither Rousey or Cyborg have had enough training yet to be a skilled WWE Superstar. Charlotte referred to the rumored battle between WWE’s Four Horsewomen and UFC’s Four Horsewomen at next month’s Survivor Series PPV as a “gimmick match”.
“I am a little biased in terms of what it takes to be a WWE superstar and performer for the company. I would look at this as a term ‘a gimmick match,’ where I wouldn’t have an expectation, say me versus Nattie [Natalya] at Hell in a Cell. I wouldn’t expect it to be a match like that. They don’t have the training that we have. It’s just different.
I think the only challenge would be people might forget that WWE is a sports entertainment company. I think it would be exciting … but I don’t know if that would even be a challenge. It may even make it more exciting.”
UFC featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino has been petitioning for a fight against Ronda Rousey for years. With Rousey’s MMA career on hold and a future with WWE appearing imminent, Cyborg has an idea: Let’s give the fans the fight they want – inside a WWE ring.
Cyborg posted a message on her website on Tuesday responding to Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan telling MMAFighting.com that a Rousey vs. Cyborg fight could still happen in UFC. After all the hurdles that prevented the fight from happening, Cyborg has moved on from the prospect.
“When I wanted to fight her, it was because she was at the top of her game and she had all of the confidence in the world,” Justino said. “She had not been KO’d twice in a row, and some people were actually saying she could beat Floyd Mayweather in a fight.
“I wanted the challenge so bad I almost killed myself trying to make the lowest weight possible just to give this fight to the fans, and she made every excuse for it not to happen. Both of us are now at different chapters in our careers, and for me that chapter is finished.”
However, Cyborg says if Rousey is up for it, she’d gladly take her on in WWE. “If Ronda is wanting to make the fight for the fans, I would still be willing to give them it,” Justino said on her website Tuesday.
“But I think it would be better to take place inside the WWE ring. For her it gets her one step closer to Hollywood and for me it would be another exciting challenge and a chance to test my athletic ability.”
Rousey has made several WWE appearances over the years, most recently at the finals of the Mae Young Classic. She’s rumored to be competing at Survivor Series in a Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match en route to a singles match WrestleMania.
Cyborg herself has flirted with the idea of appearing for WWE, most notably by way of a Twitter feud with Becky Lynch before SummerSlam.
– TMZ Sports posted the following video of ex-UFC champ Ronda Rousey and a young fan adorably teaming up on a WWE security guard during The Mae Young Classic in Las Vegas Tuesday night. Check it out here:
– While on tour with RAW through Australia this past week, Matt and Jeff Hardy picked up a few good wins over former RAW Tag Team Champs Sheamus and Cesaro. Matt took to Twitter to thank the WWE Universe for helping he and Jeff return to WWE earlier this year:
Wrestling fans around the world–"Thank you & Jeff for coming back to the @WWE."
My reply–"Thank you for bringing us back to the WWE."
Former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey sat in the front row Tuesday night to watch friend Shayna Baszler compete in the finals of WWE’s Mae Young Classic. Baszler, who has transitioned from part-time fighter/pro wrestler to full pro wrestler, lost to Kairi Sane in the finals but is still expected to receive a chance in the WWE.
Rousey, also rumored to be joining her in the pro wrestling promotion, spoke with ESPN after the bout. Rousey dodged questions about her possible future with WWE, instead focusing the attention on Baszler.
“I’m so proud of her,” Rousey said. “All the word that she’s done and put in over the years coming up through the indie scene and fighting in Japan. Everything that she’s done has been to prove to herself and everyone else that she deserves to be here. I think she really proved that to every person watching.”
Rousey recently married fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne. She has not fought since suffering a loss last December to Amanda Nunes for the title.
During an interview with Cathy Kelley at the Mae Young Classic red carpet event, Rousey took a similar approach of focusing on Shayna Baszler and refraining from talking about her own future.
“You know what, tonight’s all about Shayna. I’m just here to support Shayna and I don’t want to be the kind of person that shows up to support her friend and ends up talking about herself all night. So – it’s all about her, man. It’s all about her.”
With another WWE appearance scheduled for Tuesday night’s Mae Young Classic finale red carpet event, it’s seeming more and more likely that Ronda Rousey will be competing in a WWE ring sooner than later.
During a recent appearance on the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, Sasha Banks said Ronda Rousey and her Four Horsewomen (Rousey, Mae Young Classic finalist Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke) are “just fans” who need to “get to the back of the line” if they want to wrestle WWE’s Four Horsewomen (Sasha, Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Bayley).
“I feel like I keep hearing rumblings of that too, which is cool. It’s awesome, but we are The Four Horsewomen and they’re just fans. Yeah, and if they wanted to fight us, they need to get in the back of the line like everybody else, get a contract, train down at the Performance Center, get on NXT, and try to get called up just like everybody else.”
While Banks considers Rousey an amazing athlete, “The Boss” says Rousey will never be on her level in the ring.
“She’s an amazing athlete. She changed the game.” Banks said, “She’ll never be on my level.”
WWE’s Mae Young Classic tournament has been a huge success on the WWE Network. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the eight episodes of the MYC were the Top 8 most-watched shows on the Network this past week.
Since the first four episodes were released the previous week, that means the first four episodes of the tournament had more views than this week’s 205 Live and NXT shows.
WWE has announced a ‘red carpet’ special for the Mae Young Classic finale will stream on Facebook this coming Tuesday, September 12th at 6pm (Eastern) live from Las Vegas.
Hosted by Cathy Kelley, the red carpet event will feature appearances by former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey, cast members from the Netlix hit show GLOW, U.S. Olympian soccer star Hope Solo, Charlotte Flair, Stephanie McMahon, the Bella Twins, Bayley, Triple H and other Mae Young Classic competitors.
The finals of the Mae Young Classic will air live on the WWE Network this coming Tuesday at 10pm (Eastern) right after SmackDown Live goes off the air. The finals will feature Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane to crown the first-ever Mae Young Classic winner.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Rousey is rumored to be competing at WWE Survivor Series in a Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match. This would set up a big singles match at WrestleMania 34 with Rousey wrestling either Stephanie McMahon or Charlotte.
It seems as though Ronda Rousey is getting closer and closer to stepping in a WWE ring.
The former UFC Champion was in attendance for the Mae Young Classic and she confronted Bayley, Becky Lynch and Charlotte following Shayna Baszler‘s second round match.
Rousey and the ‘MMA Horsewomen’ spoke to WWE.com outside Full Sail University following the encounter but were interrupted by the aforementioned WWE superstars.
Rousey approached Charlotte and stated “You name the time, you name the place.” When there was no response from Charlotte, Rousey said, “Oh, not today? We’re waiting to hear from you.”
WrestleMania 34 next April sounds like a logical venue for this high-profile match. Ronda Rousey’s days in the Octagon most likely done and the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion reportedly training in the ring with WWE Cruiserweight Brian Kendrick.
Both Rousey and WWE have spoken publicly about the possibility of working together in recent months. During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take last week, Triple H said WWE is prepared to make Rousey an offer to step inside the squared circle.
“Ronda has been a huge fan of WWE her whole life, she’s been very adamant about that,” he said. “She’s done stuff with us before. She’s a huge fan. It’s something that I think she’s definitely interested in and I’ll throw it out right now, if she’s interested, I’ll give her the opportunity.”
Ex-SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Becky Lynch recently did an interview with Al Arabiya English to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. During their conversation Lynch was asked about the potential debut of Ronda Rousey in the WWE with rumors recently circulating that the former UFC champ has begun training for a career in the field.
For the past few weeks the UFC and WWE have been mentioned in the same breath thanks to feuds between Jon Jones and Brock Lesnar, Becky Lynch and Cris Cyborg, and former UFC fighter Shayna Baszler’s involvement in the Mae Young Classic. Here’s what she had to say:
“I feel like if it’s going to get more eyes on us, then that’s wonderful. What I want to see is women who are passionate about this, and that they’re doing it for the right reasons, and that they care about this business, because we have been busting our tails for the past four years to make sure that women are seen in a different way and women are seen in a different light.
“And of course, Ronda, with all she’s done for UFC, would be a great asset. I can’t diminish her accomplishments at all because she’s incredible in her own right. But this is our sport, and you have to prove yourself in a whole different way”
WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair spoke with the South China Morning Post this week and commented on the possibility of Ronda Rousey stepping inside a WWE ring one day.
Charlotte says she’d welcome the opportunity to be Rousey’s first WWE opponent, but doesn’t consider the match-up a dream match.
“I would tell her to get in line,” she said while laughing. “Ronda wouldn’t be my dream opponent, but if WWE was something she would want to consider, I would definitely want to be her first competitor.”
During their time in NXT, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley were dubbed the “Four Horsewomen” of professional wrestling. As it turns out, there’s another Four Horsewomen in pro sports – led by none other than Ronda Rousey. Her squad includes MMA fighters Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke and Mae Young Classic competitor Shayna Baszler. Charlotte says her incarnation is the “real” Four Horsewomen and she’s got the Flair lineage to deserve that moniker.
“We’re the real four horsewomen – I have the lineage! I think it’s great, with us being a sports entertainment company, being able to highlight crossover performers is exciting. Honestly, it just draws more attention to the women as a whole. Anything that shines a positive light on women’s wrestling, and how popular it is today, is great.”
Check out the full interview with Charlotte Flair over at SCMP.com.
Triple H will be a guest on Wednesday’s In This Corner Podcast on CBS Sports. Brian Campbell published an article today that featured some of Triple H’s quotes on the rumors that Ronda Rousey is coming to WWE. Triple H also discussed Rousey’s appearance at the Mae Young Classic tournament on the WWE Network and at WrestleMania 31.
Ronda Rousey attending the Mae Young Classic last month:
“I don’t know that I ever once looked out at the crowd and saw her without this ear-to-ear grin on her face. She was like a little kid after every break there would be when I would talk to her — like a little kid. What that means? Unsure. What that means down the line? I think she’s unsure.”
“I think [Rousey] is in a transition period in her life and is in a great place. I think she’s getting married soon or something. Look, she has got a lot going on, but I’m all about creating opportunities. That’s what the Mae Young Classic is all about — creating opportunities for these women that they never had before. If Ronda Rousey wants that opportunity, I’d be happy to talk to her about it.”
On Rousey being a part of WrestleMania 31:
“It’s funny. I remember when we did that stuff with Ronda at WrestleMania and she was talking about the roar of the crowd,” Levesque said. “It was the most amazing stuff she had felt and heard. She said, ‘I have never allowed myself to even hear it when I fight.’ She can’t. It’s not about the crowd. It’s not about entertainment and whether they are booing me or cheering me. It’s not about how loud it is. It’s about a focused one thing.
We do the exact opposite. Our whole thing is entertaining that crowd and getting them to react and doing all those things. It’s fun, and I think that she’s enamored and fascinated with what we do.”
Ronda Rousey’s career in mixed martial arts (MMA) with the UFC may be over, but her professional wrestling career could just be getting started.
“The Rowdy One” was once undefeated in her professional MMA career before suffering a second round knockout loss to Holly Holm in November of 2015. She made her return to the Octagon one year later in attempt to recapture the 135-pound title, however, she was knocked out by Amanda Nunes in just under a minute. With her MMA career being very much in doubt, many fans are wondering what’s next for the former Olympic Judoka – and WWE may just be that answer.
Per a report from Fightful, Rousey is seriously considering a career inside the squared circle and has gone as far as picking up some of the basics from a WWE Superstar. She reportedly requested Triple H to get her involved in her recent appearance with The Four Horsewomen at the Mae Young Classic. The report also suggests that WWE referred Rousey and company to former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Brian Kendrick for training in Southern California. There was buzz backstage amongst WWE employees that Rousey is expected to start training soon, and has already taken some basic bumps amongst other things thus far.
Rousey’s fellow horsewomen have pretty depthy WWE connections; as her friend Marina Shafir is engaged to NXT star Roderick Strong, Shayna Baszler was recently involved in the Mae Young Classic, and Jessamyn Duke has already begun her training. Rousey also appeared at WrestleMania 31 alongside The Rock, as well as at SummerSlam in 2014. She has also been teasing a ‘big announcement’ on her official website as of late, but it’s not yet known if the two are related.
TMZ Sports caught up with WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross. TMZ asked Jim Ross if he thought Ronda Rousey would come to the WWE. Here was JR’s response:
“She is going to be a big star. It is inevitable. I see her in a WrestleMania someday. It is too great of an opportunity for her to pass up and for WWE to pass up. It is a match made in heaven.”
TMZ also stated that Ric Flair recently said that Kurt Angle could have been good in the UFC and asked for JR’s thoughts:
“Yeah, he probably could of. After 1996 or so, I’m sure he could have made a nice transition. He is an amazing athlete.”
Jim Ross was also asked if he thought we were entering a new “golden age of wrestling” and here was his response:
“I hope so. Somebody has got to break through the clutter and become the next big thing. I don’t know who it is going to be. I wish I knew.”
WWE releases NXT Superstar
Raj Giri of WrestlingInc is reporting that WWE has released NXT Superstar Ho Ho Lun. Lun signed with WWE in 2016 and was a participant in the Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network. Lun defeated Ariya Daivari in the first round of the tournament, but was eliminated in the second round by Noam Dar. Lun last wrestled in NXT during TV tapings in June.
Ronda Rousey, and the entire 4 Horsewomen of MMA faction, are at Full Sail University to support teammate Shayna Baszler. The 16 year veteran of mixed martial arts, was announced as an entrant in the tournament earlier today.
Mae Young Classic
Earlier today, WWE announced all 32 participants in the tournament:
Former WWE personality and current ESPN anchor Jonathan Coachman recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio to explain his prediction that WWE will never being in Ronda Rousey. Coachman previously went on Twitter and told a fan that she would have “no chance” in WWE after losing in such dramatic fashion at UFC 207. Coachman questioned on Busted Open Radio what WWE could do with Rousey at this point, and says professional athletes’ worth is directly tied to their success in their sport.
“When she lost, not only was she devastated, but she admitted that some thoughts that went through her head were not good ones,” Coachman said of Rousey. “Hopefully, she understands that she’s gone much further than almost any female in really sports in the last 15 years. […] As far as WWE is concerned, they don’t bring in, and I refer to her as a broken star, because that’s what she is, she’s broken from a professional sense.”
Coachman says during his time with WWE he witnessed them only hiring people who fit a certain mental profile, and that they don’t “rebuild broken celebrities.” The Coach says Rousey doesn’t fit the bill, and indicated that he doesn’t think she’s WWE material.
“They go after, if you’re bringing in somebody from the outside, they go after people with a certain type of makeup and Ronda Rousey showed all of us that, how she responded to a loss, showed a lot about what she’s made of,” Coachman said. “I’m not saying that’s good, I’m not saying that’s bad, I’m just saying as far as the kind of person you want to go after and build a program around, to bring her in the WWE and build up this perception of what her reality is not, you can’t do that. And you can’t disappear, guys, for 13 months from the fight game and then come back and expect all of us to think you’re going to be as nasty as you were before.”
Coachman is referring to Rousey telling the press that she was suicidal after her November 2015 loss to Holly Holm. The Coach added that Rousey “lost two movies” last year because of her loss.
SiriusXM’s Busted Open airs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons on channel 93.
With Ronda Rousey’s MMA career possibly over after her 48-second loss to Amanda Nunes at Friday’s UFC 207, one former WWE announcer believes Vince McMahon’s interest in her may be over as well. ESPN anchor Jonathan Coachman answered fans on Twitter this weekend following Rousey’s loss, writing that he feels she has no shot in WWE now.
“Sorry no chance,” Coachman wrote to one fan asking about Rousey in WWE. “You can’t [bring her in to WWE] at any point. Perception matters. That performance mattered.”
When another fan told Coach he thinks Rousey could still be a big name in WWE, Coach wrote back that it will “NEVER” happen.
“They are not in the business of bringing in a broken star and rebuilding her,” Coachman wrote in reference to Rousey’s image following her devastating loss on Friday.
Prior to the loss, WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon told USA Today that they would “welcome [Rousey] with open arms” after she retires from MMA.
Sorry no chance. You can't bring in her at any point. Perception matters. That performance mattered. https://t.co/0HGPgVNLod