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What’s the Story?
The anticipation for Ronda Rousey to make her debut at the Royal Rumble is at an all-time high, but the former UFC Champion says that will be impossible.
Despite the excitement surrounding her rumoured WWE deal, Rousey denied signing a WWE contract and said she will be unable to appear at the Royal Rumble this Sunday during an interview with TMZ.
In Case You Didn’t Know...
Rousey’s appearances in WWE and her recent dinner with Triple H has convinced many that there is a deal in place and Rousey’s debut on WWE programming is inevitable. The announcement of the Women’s Royal Rumble match increased suspicions that Rousey would be making an in-ring debut in the near future.
The Heart of the Matter
Wrestling fans look forward to surprise entrants in Royal Rumble matches and many expected to see Rousey in the Women’s match, but she said she will be out of the country for the next few weeks.
Rousey spoke with TMZ on her way to the airport and said that she was boarding a flight to Columbia and would not return to the states until mid-February, which would take her out of contention as a possible Royal Rumble participant.
“I'm actually leaving to Colombia right now to finish shooting 'Mile 22' and won't be back until mid-February.”
The interest in Rousey appearing in WWE was stoked last year when the Horsewomen of WWE and MMA had a confrontation during the Mae Young Classic. Many fans are predicting that a Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen match is in the works for WrestleMania 34, but fans may have to wait a little longer to see Rousey in the squared circle.
“I haven’t signed anything regardless to what anyone said. No pen to paper for me.”
PWStream reported that the deal between WWE and Rousey was already done and that it was only the Royal Rumble appearance that was uncertain, but that no longer seems to be the case.
What’s Next?
Fans have placed bets on the Royal Rumble pay-per-view this Sunday and Rousey is ahead of Asuka as the favourite to win the Women’s match.
Betting odds tend to shift just before WWE pay-per-views, so those odds might not hold through Sunday.
Author’s Take
The expectation from fans is that Rousey will appear in the Royal Rumble and this could be problematic if she does not show up.
If Rousey truly isn’t participating in the match, WWE should probably make a formal announcement at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
