How impactful has Ronda Rousey been in professional wrestling?
An accomplished athlete in mixed martial arts, many were shocked and excited in January 2018 when Rousey made her shock entrance at the end of the Royal Rumble. A legitimate fighter and true crossover star, the debut made headlines around the world.
Following the first match at WrestleMania 34, Rousey would impress the company with her debut performance and have the full support of the company behind her for the next year, winning the Raw Women’s Championship and going on to be one-third of the first-ever all-women’s WrestleMania main event. While Rousey was placed in a prominent position throughout her first run, it has since been argued how much of that was down to her name and previous accomplishments and how much of it was down to her in-ring ability.
WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff analysed Rousey’s time within the squared circle on 83 Weeks. Bischoff stated that Rousey’s UFC accomplishments are to be celebrated but were not that impactful in WWE once the appeal of Rousey being a professional wrestler had worn off:
“Eh, I think she’s….I don’t want to say [she’s] overrated, but I think in terms of the professional wrestling industry, she’s overrated. Obviously very accomplished mixed martial artists, very accomplished in judo. Phenomenal athlete, but she never clicked for me in WWE despite a push from the gods. She got an amazing push, but there was something lacking with her, and she never clicked with me. I don’t think she really clicked with the audience. Not long after she first arrived. I think the shine kind of wore off the star pretty quickly, and I never got the feeling that she was really serious about the industry.”
Bischoff continued, stating that Rousey would not be the name on a show that would make a difference when it came to media rights negotiations:
“I just don’t think she’s as big a name as people sometimes think she is. I don’t think she’d matter to a buyer. I don’t think there’s going to be a media buyer out there or a programming buyer out there, or an executive that’s going, ‘Oh, wait a minute, you got Ronda Rousey. I wasn’t too sure about this deal, but now I really want to do it.’ I don’t see that.”
Tony Khan Addresses Ronda Rousey’s AEW Status
Continuing to make surprise appearances, the former Women’s Champion recently made an unannounced appearance at a Ring of Honor taping, leading some fans to speculate that Rousey may be All Elite very soon. When asked about Ronda Rousey following Full Gear, AEW President Tony Khan addressed her current status and how it relates to his own promotion.
During the same episode, the Hall of Famer gave his thoughts on Drew McIntyre as WWE Champion.
H/t to Wrestling News.co