3 things Ronda Rousey will need to do to succeed in WWE

#1 Ronda Rousey shouldn't be the female Brock Lesnar

Much as WWE would like us to forget this, we won't.

Aside from the problems arising from his limited schedule, Brock Lesnar has represented a ceiling to the main event scene for the past year, and arguably the past few years before that. That ceiling will lift when Roman Reigns beats him at WrestleMania, but his push has been so astronomically strong that it's prevented the division from breaking new ground and creating new stars beyond the 'Big Dog'.

Ronda Rousey now threatens to do the same, smothering the women's division. But what's worse about this is that unlike Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey is far less believable in that role.

Sure, in 2015, she would be very believable. In 2018, though, she's coming off being exposed and humiliated in her last two UFC fights. When Holly Holm took Rousey to deep water and then kicked her to the curb at UFC 193, the mystique was broken. When Amanda Nunes TKO'd her in 50 seconds at UFC 207, the myth of "the baddest woman on the planet" ended beyond any hope of recovery.

In fewer words, Ronda Rousey wasn't only defeated in her last two fights, she was humiliated and destroyed. Her behavior following those losses didn't do much to recover her image.

Pushing her as a monster like Brock Lesnar, despite our knowledge of how poorly she performed in her last two fights and her inability to deal with defeat, will feel even more awkward.

Where Lesnar left the UFC due to health issues while still near the top of his division, Rousey ragequit the promotion after her embarrassment at the hands of Holm and Nunes.

Rousey isn't some invincible monster, we know that for a fact. Pushing her as one would be incongruent and make WWE's women look stupid.

Instead, she should be pushed as a top competitor, but one whose arrogance and inability to deal with setbacks is an Achilles heel. She has weaknesses in her game, most notably her mental fortitude. You don't want to grapple with her if it can be avoided, but you can get inside her head.

This dynamic would make her matches more unpredictable and mirror her real-life story arc. It would also prevent her from smothering the division and leave fans less likely to turn on her as a result.

Rousey is a huge name, but if mishandled, her entry into the company could be a disaster. All three of these steps would prevent that from happening.

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