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What's the story?
TMZ is reporting that Triple H and former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey met for dinner Tuesday evening in Los Angeles.
In case you didn't know...
Rousey has long been a fan of professional wrestling, and her nickname "Rowdy" comes from the WWE Hall Of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Rousey along with current NXT Superstar Shayna Baszler, Jessamyn Duke, and Marine Shafir dub themselves as "The Four Horsewomen" of MMA.
The heart of the matter...
This dinner further adds to the speculation that a deal between Rousey is WWE is on the horizon. Last month, USA Today reported that the two sides were working on finalizing the deal, but the report was refuted a few days later.
The meeting took place at the Republique restaurant in Los Angeles, California when TMZ caught Triple H "sneaking" out of the establishment first, followed by Rousey and her agent. When TMZ talked to Rousey as she was leaving, she wouldn't confirm or deny if this dinner was to finalize her contract with the WWE.
A WWE source told TMZ it was very unusual for Triple H to miss live television (SmackDown Live in this instance last night), and the source was quoted as saying, "so, you know if he is going to fly out west, it's not just for a good meal!"
What's next?
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for further developments on Rousey signing with the WWE. The official word could happen very soon.
Author's take...
The WWE source who talked to TMZ basically said that Rousey signed with the WWE without actually saying those words. There was a lot of speculation that Rousey would debut in the first-ever women's Royal Rumble match, and this business meeting in Los Angeles Tuesday evening definitely lines up on the timeline.
The only question up for debate now is when will the WWE officially announce the deal. It could happen on January 22nd, the night of Raw 25. They may just keep it quiet until she comes down the aisle as the next entrant in the Royal Rumble. The next couple weeks will be exciting times in the WWE for sure!
