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Former NXT Champion Raquel Rodriguez recently spoke about the career-changing opportunity she received as she faced Ronda Rousey on SmackDown.
Rousey has been a force of destruction in the world of sports entertainment. The Baddest Woman on the Planet has only had two official WWE pinfall losses to Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair since she made her debut.
Last week, Rousey issued an open challenge which was answered by Raquel Rodriguez. After the match, Rodriguez and Rousey shook hands and walked away. On a recent episode of WWE's The Bump, Rodriguez talked about facing Rousey in the early stages of her days on SmackDown:
"No, not this early on. Honestly, with everything that was going on I am still getting used to being on the main roster. To be in such a high-pressure position so early on, I was really humbled and I really felt grateful for the opportunity because nobody really gets that a lot. This was such a career-changing opportunity that I could not just half-a** it. I had to go out there and give it a 150%" (17:11 - 17:40)
Rodriguez indeed gave her best and was even close to beating the champion. However, Rousey's knowledge and experience allowed her to secure victory.
Raquel Rodriguez on what she learned while facing Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey was once one of the top stars in the UFC, in recent years she has solidified her transition to WWE. The current SmackDown Women's Champion has faced several challenges and obstacles in her career which helped her grow into the star she is.
Last week, Rodriguez lost to Rousey but the two showed signs of respect for each other. On a recent episode of WWE's the Bump, Rodriguez talked about what she learned while facing The Baddest Woman on the Planet:
"You'll learn to get back up, you'll learn to brush it off, and you'll learn that there is people out there who will have more knowledge than you in other sports and other things that could be a hinder to you having that victory. So to me it's a learning experience. It's a chance for me to go and train and train in other sports so that I can get better knowledge on how to defeat these said people." (17:53 - 18:13)
It's safe to say Rodriguez became the highlight of the night as she stepped up to face Ronda Rousey. The 31-year-old recently started her career on SmackDown but showed the WWE Universe that she can hang in with the best of the best.
Do you think Raquel Rodriguez is a future champion? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
