Ronda Rousey has no shortage of WWE hot takes – including how all the fights are fake
“Rowdy” might claim she’s done with the WWE, but it seems she’s still doing the work.
Former WWE Superstar and Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey aired her grievances this week on the Wild Ride! w/ Steve-O podcast about all things WWE, including the ungrateful fan base, fake-ness and grueling schedule.
One of her hottest takes was calling out WWE for its scripted nature:
“I love the WWE. I had such a great time. I love all the girls in the locker room. Running out there and having fake fights for fun is just the best thing. I love choreography. I love acting. I love theater. Live theater and some of the last forms of live theater. But, I was doing basically part-time and I was away from home 200 days out of the year. And when I did get home, I was so sleep deprived cause you just don’t have time to lay down.”
Rousey’s comments ignited a backlash, but she stood her ground and explained the rationale for her comments. According to Rousey, “pretending pro wrestling is somehow on the same level of realism” as a “REAL fight” insults MMA fighters:
#kayfabekiller pic.twitter.com/t9sxdeC7DG
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) April 11, 2020
Coming from a MMA and UFC background, Rousey is no stranger to violence. She was the last-ever MMA Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion before the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bought Strikeforce in 2011. Then, Rousey competed in the first female UFC fight. She set the record of the most title defenses by a woman with six, and in 2018 she was the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
The WWE is a little bit different. The WWE features performers with a scripted storyline – they are professional entertainers, but there is still some level of risk involved.
Especially considering the wide array of matches possible in WWE. Let’s just examine a few: Strap Matches, Ladder Matches and Tables Matches.
These are no joke. You’re trying to get to the top of the ladder, which of course means using the ladder as a weapon.
How about knocking your opponent into a table?
Or maybe being tied to your competitor with a strap to remain close to each other, while using the strap as a weapon.
It is in fact different from a real fight where you’re throwing punches, but both have their own level of danger. WWE stars expect to come out battered and beaten just like MMA and UFC fighters, they just know the end result prior to the finish.
Which is one of the reasons why many Superstars took offense to Rousey’s words.
Hm. Was out for almost a year. Must have been “ fake” pic.twitter.com/lnLLAq3laT
— Lexi Kaufman (@AlexaBliss_WWE) April 11, 2020
I have NO WORDS for her audacity to save “fake fighting” !!!!!! If it’s fake why can’t @RealPaigeWWE & @TJWilson can’t wrestle anymore ?? If it is fake why couldn’t @EdgeRatedR wrestle for 11 years ???? This is a contact sport where REAL things happen! https://t.co/cYvGpTjmci
— CJ “Lana” Perry (@LanaWWE) April 11, 2020
Her comments sound reminiscent of the the Rousey who went off on her YouTube channel during the buildup to her fight against the Raw Women’s Champion in her first reign and the longest reigning champion Becky Lynch before WrestleMania 35.
“I’m not going out there and doing their f–king act anymore. I’m going out there and doing whatever the hell I want. And they can explain it however they want, but … f–k em. Everybody. WWE Universe included. I meant that. I’m going to disrespect the sport that they all love so much. ‘Ohhhh don’t break kayfabe Ronda!’ Wrestling is scripted. It’s made up. It’s not real. None of those bitches can f–king touch me. The end.”
Because Rousey has said similar statements, as part of a storyline, could this possibly be a sign of Rowdy’s return?
Rousey has been absent from WWE programming since WrestleMania 35 when she lost the Raw Women’s Title to Lynch in a Triple Threat Match with the NXT Women’s Champion in her second reign and WrestleMania 36 Champion Charlotte Flair.
She’s even getting a little help from that last opponent she fell to before her time away from the circuit.
You better hurry up and beat me, Shayna. Auntie Ronda is casting her shadow again now you’ve got yourself a little bit of the spotlight. https://t.co/8ljhoXPW2Y
— The Man (@BeckyLynchWWE) April 2, 2020
She didn’t entirely rule out coming back in her interview earlier this week either, but she did state it would have to be in a limited capacity:
“No, I’ll never be full time again — over 200 days a year on the road like that ever again,” she said. “I needed to do it in order to learn and get immersed into it and really understand what’s going on, but it’s just not the lifestyle for me.”
Full time, part time, it doesn’t matter – just give us anytime, and we’re in, Rowdy.
