5 likely WWE opponents for Ronda Rousey after WrestleMania 35

Ronda Rousey will defend the WWE Raw Women’s Championship against Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair in the main event of WrestleMania 35 on Sunday, April 7.

The following night, “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” is due to appear on the April 8 episode of Monday Night Raw in Brooklyn, New York, but she is not currently being advertised for any more WWE appearances over the next few weeks.

Rumours in early 2019 began to spread that the UFC Hall of Famer could leave WWE after WrestleMania 35. However, the company quickly denied the speculation, releasing the following statement: "Ronda Rousey is under contract with WWE until April 10, 2021. Whether she wants to start a family is a private matter."

Regardless of Rousey’s post-WrestleMania return date to the squared circle, she is certain to compete again in WWE at some point again in 2019, whether that means she becomes a Brock Lesnar-esque part-time champion or whether she simply takes a break before coming back around the time of SummerSlam.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five opponents who the WrestleMania main-eventer must face after this year’s “Show of Shows”.

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#5 Becky Lynch

This one is a no-brainer, isn’t it? Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch have been feuding on-screen and off-screen ever since their Champion vs. Champion match at Survivor Series 2018 was cancelled due to Lynch suffering a broken nose and concussion at the hands of Nia Jax on Raw.

The two rivals will square off, along with Charlotte Flair, in the first women’s main event in WrestleMania history next week, but many fans believe that Rousey vs. Lynch is the match that everyone wants to see, with Flair taken out of the equation.

No matter who walks away as champion from WrestleMania 35, there will still be people who want to see this storyline continue with “The Baddest Woman on the Planet” and “The Man” finally going one-on-one in a WWE ring.

It didn’t happen at Survivor Series. It won’t happen at WrestleMania. Money In The Bank, perhaps? SummerSlam?

#4 Four Horsewomen

WWE initially teased a feud between the WWE Four Horsewomen (Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Sasha Banks) and the MMA Four Horsewomen (Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir) during the 2017 Mae Young Classic – a tournament in which Baszler competed.

Since then, members of each faction have aimed sporadic social media digs at each other, with Lynch and Rousey usually at the heart of everything, but the only notable mention on WWE television of a potential Horsewomen rivalry came at the 2019 Royal Rumble when Banks held up the ‘four’ symbol to Rousey after their Raw Women’s Championship match.

Given that Duke and Shafir are now becoming more established in NXT, and that Baszler is one of the most impressive female Superstars in all of WWE, it is surely only a matter of time before this long-awaited rivalry finally makes its way onto the main roster.

#3 Sonya Deville

Ronda Rousey and Sonya Deville were involved in a brief altercation on Raw in April 2018 but they have never met one-on-one in a WWE ring. On social media, however, it is a very different story.

The war of words, which appears to be legitimate, began in November 2018 when Deville wrote on Instagram that Rousey was “ducking the real fight”, referring to herself, and said she knows how to break her face: with a head kick.

Clearly not happy with the reference to her getting knocked out by Holly Holm, Rousey reacted during a YouTube video in February 2019 and dismissed Deville’s MMA background as a “hobby”. When asked if the disparaging remarks should remain in the video, Rousey said they should because Deville previously made comments about her UFC loss.

Deville responded on Twitter: “Haha awhhh that’s cute you’re a little salty from some factual comments I made. Well you know where I work and I would love to reenact the look on your face when you got KOed.”

#2 Shayna Baszler

Shayna Baszler has established herself as one of the top female Superstars in NXT history since she burst onto the WWE scene as a participant in the inaugural Mae Young Classic tournament in 2017.

“The Queen of Spades” won the NXT Women’s Championship from Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans in April 2018 and she has gone on to hold the title for 10 of the last 12 months, becoming the first two-time holder in the championship’s history.

Short-term, Baszler remains a key member of the NXT roster and she will defend her title against Kairi Sane, Io Shirai and Bianca Belair in a Fatal 4-Way match at NXT TakeOver: New York on Friday, April 5.

Long-term, the NXT Women’s champion is destined to join forces with – and possibly compete against – Ronda Rousey one day in WWE. She told The National in 2018: “I always say if a linebacker in the NFL has a quarterback friend on the other team he is going to try and hit him even harder. I don’t think it will be any different if her and I do meet up, out of respect for each other, and it would be gnarly.”

#1 Asuka

In January 2018, Asuka made history when she became the first winner of a women’s Royal Rumble. Following the match, the Japanese star was set to choose whether she would challenge Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship or Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34.

Just as she was due to make the decision, Ronda Rousey’s music hit and the former mixed martial artist made her way to the ring and pointed to the WrestleMania sign. During the post-Rumble segment, she attempted to shake Asuka's hand but the Rumble winner refused.

It looked at the time as if WWE was going to set up a possible match between the submission specialists. However, 14 months on, the two women have spent most of that time on opposite brands and they are still yet to meet one-on-one.

Depending on which brand each Superstar ends up on after the 2019 Superstar Shake-Up, it would not be at all surprising if WWE built towards a Rousey vs. Asuka match at some point in the next year.