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If you are a follower of Ronda Rousey, you will know that she has been teasing a major announcement that will change the “game”. Her fans and the general media have been speculating that this is the long-awaited announcement that she is joining the WWE.
Her announcement is to come via her new online channel "rondarousey.com" another move signalling her move away from the strict social media control her former employers “The UFC” used to impose and a demonstration that life after the MMA juggernaut has really begun.
Ronda who has been a long-time follower of the WWE and gets her nickname “Rowdy” from Rowdy Roddy Piper has been consistently linked to the WWE.
Earlier this year, Triple H (Paul Levesque) a legendary wrestler and the current COO of the WWE recently stated on an ESPN interview that he was very open to Rousey working with the WWE and believed that she could be a strong performer for the company if she was interested in building a career as a professional wrestler. This after repeated comments from Stephanie McMahon that Ronda would be “welcomed” into the WWE.
This year the WWE launched the Mae Young classic a tournament to identify new female talent which could be signed to the NXT brand. Shayna Baszler, a former MMA competitor like Ronda and one of her closest friends, participated in the tournament.
Rousey was in attendance as a fan through some of the tapings. Whilst supporting your friend is not something that is abnormal a confrontation on the penultimate episode alluded to a broader reason for Rousey’s presence at the event.
A showdown with the four horsewomen of NXT Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Becky Lynch. The first major indication that the WWE’s interest in Ronda would come to fruition. The tease between Ronda’s MMA horsewomen vs the WWE’s Horsewomen of NXT sent the IWC, Internet Wrestling Community, into a frenzy.
Recently there have been 2 major factions that have formed across Smackdown and RAW the Riot Squad and Absolution. Both factions have strengthened the depth of the women’s division. An increase in depth which is desperately needed with the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble set to take place in January 2018. A match which the WWE, has already announced will have 30 competitors.
How do the Mae Young Classic, Absolution & The Riot Squad and the first ever Women’s Royal Rumble factor into the Ronda Rousey discussion? It's simple;
Somewhere in the last 10 contestants at the Women’s Royal Rumble the bell will sound, and the world will be introduced anew to “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey! Want a historic entry and commencement to her WWE career? Well, there would be no better way to make a splash and win the first ever Royal Rumble event.
How does Ronda win the Rumble most likely with the help of her former MMA colleagues forming the latest stable within the WWE women’s division? This allows for strong feuds with the like of Absolution and The Riot Squad across the brands and protects Ronda’s limited professional wrestling capabilities in multi-women matches giving her time to get accustomed to the WWE.
Winning the Rumble means a match against Alexa Bliss or Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. The obvious choice being Charlotte who would be able to carry Ronda in a match and make her seem plausible as an instant competitor. This also keeps her away from another juggernaut who the WWE is building up as unstoppable. Asuka.
The end game potentially at Summer Slam 2018 after a superstar shake-up, Survivor Series in a cross-brand feud or at the next Wrestlemania in 2019 will be Ronda vs Asuka. Whilst WWE in recent years has not been one for the slow burn following this Roadmap would allow feuds for Rousey to be fresh for over 12 months giving her and her competition, PPV calibre matchups on a regular basis.
A Royal Rumble Win, first title against Charlotte Flair providing her a Wrestlemania moment and being the women to finally beat Asuka would cement Ronda Rousey as the biggest name in Professional Wrestling male or female and would, similar to what we are seeing in the men’s division, allow the WWE to run with Ronda as the female face of the company or allow them to ultimately anoint a current or new star as the heir apparent when they eventually beat Ronda Rousey.
Ronda to the WWE is happening, and I believe given the behind the scenes training she has been getting from Natalya, that her arrival will be seen as the next step in Women’s Wrestling where they build towards the first women to headline and main event a Wrestlemania as the biggest draw in the company.
