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Ronda Rousey is one of the most impressive athletes in WWE's illustrious history. She was a major star and groundbreaking pioneer in mixed martial arts while also helping elevate women's professional wrestling to a whole new level.
The Baddest Woman On The Planet had an impressive 2022. She returned to the company after a few years away and won the 2022 Women's Royal Rumble Match. She later went on to defeat Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Rousey briefly lost the title but eventually won it back at Extreme Rules.
Unfortunately, her year didn't end in a positive manner. She lost the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship to the returning Charlotte Flair in an unexpected impromptu bout. Due to her loss, Rousey is walking into 2023 without a title.
While losing the SmackDown Women's Championship is certainly a blow, Rousey will likely dust herself back off and plan for an impressive 2023. Now that The Baddest Woman On The Planet has lost her belt, what will she do next? Where will her career go in the coming weeks and months?
Below are five directions for Ronda Rousey after losing the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship.
#5. She could feud with Charlotte Flair
The most obvious immediate direction for Ronda Rousey is to attempt to regain the SmackDown Women's Championship. As noted, she lost the title to Charlotte Flair on the final Friday Night SmackDown of 2022, but there's always a chance that she can regain the title.
The first reason why she could regain the title is that she's already proven that she can do it. When she lost an impromptu match to Liv Morgan for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, fans were shocked. Rousey ultimately regained the title from Liv just a few months later, however.
Another sign in the favor of Ronda regaining her SmackDown Women's Championship is her past experience with Flair. It was Ronda who defeated The Queen for the title earlier in 2022. Rousey may once again pursue Charlotte in the hopes of winning gold.
#4. Ronda Rousey could fight Becky Lynch despite rumors to the contrary
Becky Lynch is a fantastic performer. She's almost always a champion or a top contender for a title, but for the first time in awhile, Lynch hasn't been involved with a championship. Instead, she's been feuding with Bayley. Could she have a big-time non-title feud coming up in the near future?
Many fans and insiders believed that Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey had a date with destiny, possibly at WrestleMania 39. While some members of the WWE Universe were excited about the potential bout, World Wrestling Entertainment management allegedly soured on the idea.
While the reports and speculation indicate that the bout won't take place, the news could be inaccurate or even planted by WWE to divert expectations. Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey have unfinished business, and a bout between the two at WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble, or another Premium Live Event still feels inevitable.
#3. Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey could pursue the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles
Ronda Rousey doesn't have many friends in professional wrestling. While she's a force of nature, she doesn't exactly build relationships by attacking officials, breaking limbs, and smashing faces. Fortunately for Rousey, there is one person she has a close bond with in the company.
Shayna Baszler is a long-time friend of The Baddest Woman On The Planet. She has known The Queen Of Spades since their days in mixed martial arts and the two have now aligned themselves together in WWE, which has been destructive for the SmackDown women's division.
The two have real-life chemistry which has translated on-screen. They may use their dynamic to team up and challenge for the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles. Whether they fight Damage CTRL for the gold or some other team, don't be surprised to see the two hard-nosed grapplers go for the tag belts.
#2. She and Shayna Baszler could feud
While Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler are friends, there's no guarantee that the two will be on the same page going forward. They've spent little time together in WWE, and even shared a few cross words in 2022 before aligning.
More interestingly is Shayna's reaction to Rousey accepting Charlotte Flair's impromptu challenge on WWE SmackDown. She practically begged for Ronda to not accept the match after having just defended the belt against Raquel Rodriguez, but Ronda's ego got the better of her and she ignored Shayna's advice.
Could the seeds of separation now be sown? Ronda refusing to listen to The Queen Of Spades may be a wedge driven between the two that will ultimately lead to them clashing. Shayna Baszler vs. Ronda Rousey could be a major match at a big Premium Live Event.
#1. Ronda could dethrone Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair is the reigning RAW Women's Champion. She first won the title at WrestleMania 38 and has been the champion for ever since. Belair has turned back challengers such as Carmella, Sonya Deville, Asuka, Becky Lynch, and Bayley.
Ronda Rousey is a former RAW Women's Champion too. She won the title during her first run with the company, ultimately losing it in the aforementioned triple threat match at WrestleMania to The Man Becky Lynch.
Given Rousey's thirst for gold and success, she may decide to challenge Bianca Belair for the WWE RAW Women's Championship. If she does, it will be a clash between perhaps the two most dominant champions in recent memory. Given Rousey's track record, The EST may end up walking away without a belt.
