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What’s the story?
On an edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was revealed that the primary reason behind the WWE bringing in Ronda Rousey is to make Stephanie McMahon a mainstream star.
Apparently, the WWE has drawn inspiration from Steve Austin breaking through into the mainstream after his feud with Mike Tyson—something that they intend to repeat, only this time around with McMahon and Rousey.
In case you didn’t know…
Back in the 1990s, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin was one of the biggest stars in the world of professional wrestling, and was involved in an angle with legendary professional boxer ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson—with the angle culminating at Wrestlemania 14.
Although Austin and Tyson worked against one another in the lead-up to the event, ‘Mania 14 ended with Austin beating Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship. The entire storyline served to propel Austin into the upper echelons of the sports-entertainment world—making ‘Stone Cold’ a true mainstream star.
The heart of the matter
It was noted on The Observer that the motive behind WWE signing Ronda Rousey isn’t merely to bring in greater revenue for the company. In fact, all the financial value she brings with her brand to the WWE is secondary.
Furthermore, it was noted that the key reason behind the WWE bringing in Ronda Rousey is to help Stephanie McMahon breakthrough as a mainstream star. While Stephanie is well known in pro-wrestling circles, she is not considered to be a true mainstream star.
It was noted that this theory is somewhat similar to what made Vince McMahon a big star, which was his feud with Steve Austin—and what made Austin a mainstream star was his Attitude Era rivalry with Mike Tyson. Similarly, the WWE is keen on booking a match at Wrestlemania 34, that being Stephanie McMahon & Triple H vs. Ronda Rousey & The Rock—a vital factor here being the inclusion of The Rock in the matchup which would make the event even bigger.
Yet another point validating the aforementioned speculation is that Ronda Rousey is one of the biggest sports stars in the world, and despite having mostly laid low from the public spotlight and not competing at all in 2017, she was the most-searched female athlete on the internet in the US in 2017. The idea behind Rousey in WWE is making Stephanie McMahon a star outside the pro-wrestling world.
What’s next?
Ronda Rousey is expected to report to the WWE Performance Center very soon.
Experts believe that she’s likely to team up with The Rock and compete in a Mixed Tag Team Match against Stephanie McMahon and Triple H at Wrestlemania 34.
Author’s take
The WWE has crafted an excellent strategy to ensure that all parties benefit from Ronda Rousey’s time in the company.
Stephanie is well-known outside of pro-wrestling circles, however, in order for her to truly breakthrough, she can use a rub from the Rowdy One’s X-Factor and charismatic aggression.
