On the December 30th episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Ronda Rousey was scheduled to defend her SmackDown Women’s Title against Raquel Rodriguez.
Rousey and Rodriguez had been feuding in recent weeks with the former UFC star leaving her rival with a storyline broken arm. Despite this the former NXT Women’s Champion won a Gauntlet Match to earn a shot at Rousey. During their match Rodriguez pushed Rousey all of the way, coming within inches of winning the gold on more than one occasion.
However, it was Rousey who scored the win after forcing the challenger to submit to an Arm Bar.
Although initially all smiles, Rousey’s mood quickly changed as her celebrations were interrupted by Charlotte Flair. The Queen hadn’t been seen on WWE television since May when she was defeated by the ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet” at WrestleMania Backlash.
Back on SmackDown, Flair laid down a challenge to Rousey for a match right there and then. Unable to walk away, Rousey accepted, only to be pinned in less than a minute.
Ronda Rousey Fires Back
Posting on social media after the show Rousey wrote: “None of my critics can do half the shit I can.”
Since returning to WWE at the 2022 Royal Rumble, Ronda Rousey has come in for significant criticism from large sections of WWE’s fanbase. Fans have been critical of her seemingly lackadaisical attitude and perceived lack of commitment to wrestling. The tipping point came at Survivor Series following match with Shotzi which was marred by botches, including the star appearing to refuse to take a DDT mid-move.
In the days after the event, “Fire Ronda Rousey” was trending on social media, although the star found support from the likes of Ric Flair and Dutch Mantell. The Nature Boy described the former UFC star as “fabulous” while pointing the finger at the women Rousey has been sharing the ring with.