Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey Appears At the Royal Rumble After Officially Signing For the WWE…
It’s official. Ronda Rousey has signed for the WWE. The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion appeared last night at the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia. Regarded as the trailblazer for women’s MMA, it was widely expected, after two consecutive defeats, that Rousey would join the entertainment promotion.
Coming off devastating losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey went into media exile, forgoing interviews and keeping her future plans to herself. She has appeared in action movies like ‘Fast and Furious 7’, but it’s always been clear that she sees her future in professional wrestling.
Despite many people guessing that she would make an appearance at the Royal Rumble, there was no promotion surrounding her appearance. Rousey tried to trick her fans into thinking that she was actually in Colombia, South America, finishing off her scenes in Mark Wahlberg’s new film, ‘Mile 22’. However, when she finally appeared she got the biggest cheer of the night.
Genuine Delight
It was clear from the moment that she walked out that Rousey was enjoying being back in the spotlight. The former Olympic Judoka has said in the past that pro-wrestling legend Hulk Hogan was one of her childhood heroes. She told ESPN.com:
“This is my life now. First priority on my timeline for the next several years. This is not a smash-and-grab; this is not a publicity stunt. When I first met with Triple H, I told him, ‘There are other things I can do with my time that’ll make way more money, but I won’t enjoy nearly as much.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BehThKSAc_M/?hl=en&taken-by=wwe
Face Off
Rousey made her first appearance after the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble contest. She extended her hand to the winner and fan-favorite Asuka, who rejected it. A rivalry is likely. Then she pointed towards a giant sign for Wrestlemania, hanging over Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. It’s likely that will be the first event that she actively takes part in.
After this, she shook hands with Steph McMahon at ringside, before interacting with the crowd even more. Throughout her brief appearance, she didn’t speak. Fans seemed to enjoy the moment though, especially when she came out to her walk-out song ‘Bad Reputation’.
Everyone's eyes are on #WrestleMania 34…
…including @RondaRousey's!!! #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/ynkps4gqx5
— WWE (@WWE) January 29, 2018
Fresh Start
The 30-year-old Californian entered the mainstream after six consecutive title defenses helped her to build star power. Her last UFC fight was back in December 2016, when she was beaten by Amanda Nunes after 48 seconds. It was an embarrassing moment for the UFC who had spent a lot more time marketing Rousey’s comeback, than promoting their champion, Nunes.
It’s fair to say that UFC President Dana White will have watched his former star join the WWE with a heavy heart. He has consistently repeated to media that he didn’t expect Rousey to return to the octagon. Even so, she still hasn’t come out and said in plain words that she’ll never fight in MMA again. We may see her again. After all, Brock Lesner came back. Right?
