Ronda Rousey’s run with WWE can be considered a success in some terms and a failure in others. There’s several key factors that have led to this sure slam dunk into somewhat of a failure.
Ronda Rousey’s first run with WWE was limited for just one year due to Rousey’s personal life. This limited what WWE could do and they had to rush things so they could tell the stories they wanted to tell with her.
Fans at first were accepting of Rousey, she grew up as a wrestling fan and her WM 34 match was well received by fans and critics. Everything after that was booked wrong. Fans immediately knew WWE was going to push Rousey to the moon as soon as possible and it didn’t felt organic.
In the ring, Rousey performed really well for someone with very little wrestling training and she was improving as the year went by. Her stuff with Bayley, Banks and Flair was her best work during her first run.
Becky Lynch is a key part of this story. While WWE we’re pushing Rousey to the moon and their long term plan was always for Rousey and Flair to clash with one another on WrestleMania, the rise of Becky Lynch was happening as well. Lynch after years of being the less pushed horsewomen, became the fans’ favorite wrestler in what looked like a similar situation with Brayn Danielson in 2014. WWE had booked Lynch vs. Rousey for Survivor Series, but an accidental punch for Nia Jax to Lynch postponed this match. WWE we’re given the opportunity to book the match everybody wanted to see for WrestleMania but their plans had Flair and they needed up adding her to the match for no reason. Not delivering Lynch vs. Rousey was a big mistake.
Ronda Rousey was known for her trash talk in the MMA world, but wrestling is a different beast. WWE’s awful scripts for Rousey doomed her from the start. Fans turned on her. Rousey’s promos were generic WWE stuff that was awful to listen.
Rousey, despite being a wrestling fan, she couldn’t see what fans turned on her. Her heel turn at the end of her first run was late and once again, it failed to capitalize on Lynch’s momentum. Rousey being a heel from the start would’ve been the move.
Rousey’s return to WWE feels meaningless, especially because her return is just so WWE can book the watch they always wanted for WrestleMania, Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey and with no Becky Lynch to ruin their plans. even if they booked the matcj between Rousey and Lynch, it would be too late.
WWE managing to miss a sure Slam Dunk like Rousey will always be amazing. This second time around there’s no excitement on her return.
