Rousey to WWE?

[Wald]

Well Ronda Rousey got her clock cleaned in under a minute in her big UFC comeback fight last night and that looks to be it for her. She reminded me a lot of Chris Eubank, the British boxer from the 80s and 90s who had a fantastic undefeated streak going until he got annihilated in Ireland by Steve Collins and just couldn't recover from it. Was like he forgot how to box. Rousey looked like she didn't even know the basics like night and I think it is safe to say her MMA career is over.

So, let the talk of her signing for Vince begin. Her star is obviously diminished but I do think WWE would still jump at the chance of bringing her in, even if just for Wrestlemania. We could get that Rousey v Stephanie McMahon match at Mania or they could have her debut on the night after Wrestlemania to face down the women's champion.

I think there's money in having her debut, become champ and building throughout the year for Asuka v Rousey at a PPV like Survivor Series

 

[ShinChan]

If I were Ronda Rousey, I won't go to WWE yet. I won't leave UFC yet.

She has had two big defeats at the hands of Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes while both matches were for the title. Just like for everyone else, this is a low time for Rousey. Everyone has to face a low time in thier lives and then retaliate and come back. So should Rousey.

She can still come back. It all depends upon if she wants to. Obviously, she won't get a title fight again in her return but still, I think that she should return for a non-title fight. That's why I won't want her in WWE yet. It isn't and shouldn't be over yet. I would love to see her come back even more stronger. Get a better coaching camp for God's sake.

Since we're talking about a MMA artist coming to professional wrestling, I would like to throw a viable name. Miesha Tate. Actually knows wrestling. It's her strength. She's retired from MMA. Still quite young. I admit that I'm personally biased here. But still.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

It took her about a year to recover from her first loss. I don't think she'd be recuperated after a second loss in time for Wrestlemania. For someone who isn't accustomed to losing, and it does seem to hurt her pride a bit, having a career in WWE where she'd be expected to lose matches doesn't seem like a good fit.

That and I am worried WWE would treat her like a powerhouse as she walks into a wrestling ring. It's easy to imagine Rousey coming in and wrecking shit like Lesnar did, but Lesnar already had a big presence in WWE before a UFC career. Rousey would be purely an MMA fighter and her celebrity status would scream victory and probably piss the part of the crowd that hates Roman Reigns off.

There's definitely money in Rousey coming to WWE. But I'm not sure how well that would be handled. If it were up to me, I'd first bank on somebody of lesser renown who has skill, can take a loss, is young enough to have a lengthy career, has charisma and if she leaves, eh it's not a huge deal. I lean more on someone like Paige VanZant. She was a Runner Up on Dancing With The Stars, so she already knows choreography - important to the world of wrestling. Test the water before going balls deep, know what I'm saying?

 

[kenvin100]

It took her about a year to recover from her first loss. I don't think she'd be recuperated after a second loss in time for Wrestlemania. For someone who isn't accustomed to losing, and it does seem to hurt her pride a bit, having a career in WWE where she'd be expected to lose matches doesn't seem like a good fit.

That and I am worried WWE would treat her like a powerhouse as she walks into a wrestling ring. It's easy to imagine Rousey coming in and wrecking shit like Lesnar did, but Lesnar already had a big presence in WWE before a UFC career. Rousey would be purely an MMA fighter and her celebrity status would scream victory and probably piss the part of the crowd that hates Roman Reigns off.

There's definitely money in Rousey coming to WWE. But I'm not sure how well that would be handled. If it were up to me, I'd first bank on somebody of lesser renown who has skill, can take a loss, is young enough to have a lengthy career, has charisma and if she leaves, eh it's not a huge deal. I lean more on someone like Paige VanZant. She was a Runner Up on Dancing With The Stars, so she already knows choreography - important to the world of wrestling. Test the water before going balls deep, know what I'm saying?

I think if anything she will be the female Brock Lesnar. She'll win 90% of her matches, lose 9% via disqualification/count out, and get squashed 1% of the time LOL. She got a massive pay day last night. And quite frankly, would get just as good of a pay day in the WWE. Vince will throw the bank vault at her. Besides, WWE is entertainment and everyone knows that. Brock Lesnar lost to a 50 year old man in 90 seconds. I don't see the media making a big deal out of it. If WWE makes a lucrative offer for Ronda, she should accept it. At the end of the day, people go past their prime. It's a part of life.

 

[Navi]

I didn't watch the fight but I heard it was brutal. Looks like Rousey is done in UFC, there is nothing there for her anymore. She had her moment of glory and it's over. That's evident from the amount of money they paid her compared to what her opponent made, and for the fact that Amanda Nunes did all the press work before the fight. Supposedly Rousey didn't have to do any as part of her contract.

As for coming to the WWE, as a special attraction here and there fine, but as a full time wrestler, no. We'll end up with a female Brock Lesnar on our hands and the women's division doesn't need it, they have Nia Jax as their monster heel.

Rousey's star has definitely dimmed somewhat after her second loss, once upon a time she looked unstoppable, now that isn't the case. With that happening not sure how many viewers she would bring over. My guess is she will go to Hollywood and make movies.

 

[OYDK]

One thing people seem to be missing here is that Ronda Rousey isn't trained to be a WWE wrestler. She's a trained MMA fighter. As Spidey said, it worked with Lesnar because he had a career in the WWE before becoming a UFC megastar; he could just walk in and pick up where he left off because he had the training and experience to do so. Rousey would have to, at the least, learn the basics of pro wrestling before even debuting, never mind becoming Women's Champion. You can't just put her in the ring and have her break people's arms. It would be downright dangerous to put her in there untrained. Would she be willing to put in a year of work in developmental? Would she have the time? Possibly, but I doubt it.

Financially, of course it would be smart for WWE to hire Ronda Rousey as a part-time competitor. Realistically though, the shine would rub off real quick once people realize she's probably not a very good professional wrestler. I don't know, perhaps I'm being pessimistic or maybe I'm biased because I don't like Rousey very much, but as a fan, I wouldn't want to see someone dominate the WWE just because of the name they made outside of it; I don't care how much money it would bring in for the company to be honest.

One time appearances? Sure. Paying her a butt-load of money to come in and destroy the Women's division? Pass.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

The thing about Rousey is that, in all seriousness, I knew that this day was coming. I knew that a time was coming in which she'd no longer be this tough but hot female juggernaut and that, as a result, she'd wind up losing some steam. If you're an MMA fighter, you're gonna lose at some point if you stay in it long enough and in Rousey's case, her loss to Holly Holm last year was the first step in showing that Rousey was as mortal as the rest of us; however, the image could've been salvaged if she returned and won her next fight in dominating fashion. Ironically, not only did she lose her big comeback fight, she lost it and the previous fight against Holm in the same dominating fashion that she'd won virtually all of her previous fights. Holm beat her in 59 seconds of the first round and Nunes beat her last night in 48 seconds of the first round. If she stays in MMA, then the image of her as this golden girl will be all but over until/unless she wins several consecutive fights in dominant fashion.

Rousey turns 30 on February 1st next year and she's someone that's transcended the world of MMA. She's ranked high in Maxim's Hot 100, she's been on talk shows, she's done movies & commercials, she's hosted SNL, she's been on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, film roles are being developed for her including a remake of the movie Road House. She's also something of a geek, which holds its own appeal, as she's into stuff like Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, pro wrestling, comic books, etc. so it's not like she doesn't have a potential real future outside of MMA.

To be honest, I don't think I'd want Rousey in WWE because she'd ultimately be a hot female version of Brock Lesnar. The women's division doesn't need that, on either brand, and the novelty of the Lesnar formula used with Lesnar himself has long since lost its appeal with me. I think Vince would use her in a similar fashion as we've seen with Lesnar and the only woman signed to WWE that I have any confidence in when it comes to having the "credibility" to face Rousey is Asuka. If it's a formula Vince would insist on sticking with, I'd rather a few years passed before Rousey was brought in so that the women's division could be more firmly established; overall, it's been a really good 18 months or so for women's wrestling in WWE and I'd hate to see that work sacrificed for Brock Lesnar with tits. Also, I'd only want her in WWE if she actually trains and learns how to be a pro wrestler.

 

[rmp0012002]

I think Ronda is done with UFC. She was shot after the Holm fight and feared having to go back but she made a ton of cash last night for working a minute. I think she'll take this loss easier and be able to move away to movies and WWE after she's trained.

 

[AnthonyM4]

Would Ronda coming to wwe really be a big deal now? I think the reason wwe wanted her in the first place was because of how dominant she was in the ufc. That was one of the reasons for her appeal. Now that she has lost 2 straight in such devastating fashion, wwe would more or less be signing a washed up ufc fighter. I'm sorry, I like Ronda but she did not look good at all in that fight. She did not show up and it was obvious her heart is not in the game anymore. It's as if she just wanted to collect the huge paycheck. She's only 30 and she looked washed up. That first loss killed her mentally. She really wanted to stay undefeated forever. If she did and wwe signed her after she retired undefeated, that would have been a HUGE deal. Now not so much. I really don't care to see her in wwe now. I'm still a fan of her's though. I say she does movies now.

 

[closet_fan]

She said she let her popularity and fame take over after she lost to Holm. Getting away from all the glitz and glammer, she tried like hell to concentrate and refocus. It still didn't work. I think she took the matchup for granted again.

That loss last night was devastating beyond belief. You could see the look of shock and broken down in her face afterwards. I think whatever she had left is gone. Her aggressive fighting style just doesn't work anymore.

I think the fans would rip her to shreds and call her a sellout if she signed with the E.

 

[LBGetBack]

What's the point? Her credibility is shot right now. Unless they're bringing her in for Steph to squash her, I don't see the point. Certainly don't bring her in and put her over anybody right now. Someone who is getting her ass whipped like that in UFC can't come in and beat your wrestlers or even Steph, who was booked real strong the last time she wrestled and should continue to be kept strong unless she's going to lose to an actual WWE wrestler.

 

[Navi]

One thing people seem to be missing here is that Ronda Rousey isn't trained to be a WWE wrestler. She's a trained MMA fighter. As Spidey said, it worked with Lesnar because he had a career in the WWE before becoming a UFC megastar; he could just walk in and pick up where he left off because he had the training and experience to do so. Rousey would have to, at the least, learn the basics of pro wrestling before even debuting, never mind becoming Women's Champion. You can't just put her in the ring and have her break people's arms. It would be downright dangerous to put her in there untrained. Would she be willing to put in a year of work in developmental? Would she have the time? Possibly, but I doubt it.

You know I never even thought of that, but you're right. She could come in get all focused and do someone a real injury without even thinking about it. And I also think you're right about spending time down in NXT. All reports are that she's a bitch to those who fought against her, refusing to touch gloves before matches and all. So she might just think it's beneath her.

And look at some of the backlash that Nakamura and Asuka have received. Both I believe are pretty stiff workers and there have been a few close calls, and they are trained wrestlers now. The WWE could have a problem on their hands with her.

Rousey turns 30 on February 1st next year and she's someone that's transcended the world of MMA. She's ranked high in Maxim's Hot 100, she's been on talk shows, she's done movies & commercials, she's hosted SNL, she's been on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, film roles are being developed for her including a remake of the movie Road House. She's also something of a geek, which holds its own appeal, as she's into stuff like Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, pro wrestling, comic books, etc. so it's not like she doesn't have a potential real future outside of MMA.

I agree with everything you say here JH, but we all know she only got those offers, movie rolls and what not because of her undefeated streak in UFC. Amanda Nunes and others never got them. Like I said before just the amount she was paid in comparison to Nunes shows that. The figures that are floating around are 5M to Rousey, a few hundred thousand to the champion Nunes.

Now that she has been roundly defeated twice and it looks like her career in UFC is over, her value may be dropping. People want to book a winner not a loser. I've never seen any of her movies and don't know, is she any good as an actress? So if the WWE comes a calling she might just do it. She's said in the past she would like to.

 

[aaronmb]

You know I never even thought of that, but you're right. She could come in get all focused and do someone a real injury without even thinking about it. And I also think you're right about spending time down in NXT. All reports are that she's a bitch to those who fought against her, refusing to touch gloves before matches and all. So she might just think it's beneath her.

And look at some of the backlash that Nakamura and Asuka have received. Both I believe are pretty stiff workers and there have been a few close calls, and they are trained wrestlers now. The WWE could have a problem on their hands with her.



I agree with everything you say here JH, but we all know she only got those offers, movie rolls and what not because of her undefeated streak in UFC. Amanda Nunes and others never got them. Like I said before just the amount she was paid in comparison to Nunes shows that. The figures that are floating around are 5M to Rousey, a few hundred thousand to the champion Nunes.

Now that she has been roundly defeated twice and it looks like her career in UFC is over, her value may be dropping. People want to book a winner not a loser. I've never seen any of her movies and don't know, is she any good as an actress? So if the WWE comes a calling she might just do it. She's said in the past she would like to.

I was really curious to seeing her in movies, as I thought the fight scenes would be huge. Furious 7 was awesome, she was annoying. I hated Expendables 3 and she was one of the worst things about it.
If she is at Mania, I'll more than likely just skip it, especially if Stephanie is involved.

 

[rmp0012002]

She could definitely go to WWE but she would need to be trained. Her Judo background gives her a good base but she would have to learn how wrestle without injuring someone. Today's women are a lot more active and technical than the old days.

 

[#hamler]

The transition from mma to wrestling is alot easier than the transition from wrestling to mma so I don't think that'll be a problem for Rousey. Like Rousey, Matt Riddle was a mma fighter that was trained to hurt people for money. After his firing he trained for a couple years and made his debut for EVOLVE where his work rate was praised for his ability to connect with the crowd. I feel Rousey can do the same. With a little training, she can become a wrestling star and perhaps redeem herself from her last two fights.

There's no doubt about it Rousey transcended women as athletes. You could perhaps even contribute her success to the success of the women's revolution in the WWE. The Rousey name is still a big name in pop culture. I don't see a problem with her training for a big match at Wrestlemania 34 or 35 against someone like Charlotte or Stephanie. Her badassedness has diminished slightly but she's still a bigger name than anyone currently on WWE's roster.

EDIT - I found a pretty good quote from Riddle.

"I had to learn to ease up. I was used to grappling intensely, using my body weight and holds to exhaust guys. Another big thing was learning to telegraph my moves – in a real fight, obviously you don’t want to show what’s coming, but now it’s all about setups and fakes, cocking your arm back before you throw a punch so the crowd anticipates what you’re doing."

If Riddle can do it, with Rousey's determination to be number one at everything she does, she can too.

 

[LODemolition]

I don't personally care about Rousey, but I do think there would be money to be made on a mixed tag match of The Rock & Ronda vs. Triple H & Steph. There would also be potential for a program with Charlotte, but after that, I think the fans would get tired of her. I doubt she'd be anything spectacular in the ring or on the mic. If I were Vince, I'd give her a deal that would only see her used at Mania, Summerslam and sporadically on Raw just like Lesnar. Anything more than that and the boo birds would inevitably start to come out.

 

[WorstWrestlingExcrement]

Well Ronda Rousey got her clock cleaned in under a minute in her big UFC comeback fight last night and that looks to be it for her. She reminded me a lot of Chris Eubank, the British boxer from the 80s and 90s who had a fantastic undefeated streak going until he got annihilated in Ireland by Steve Collins and just couldn't recover from it. Was like he forgot how to box. Rousey looked like she didn't even know the basics like night and I think it is safe to say her MMA career is over.

So, let the talk of her signing for Vince begin. Her star is obviously diminished but I do think WWE would still jump at the chance of bringing her in, even if just for Wrestlemania. We could get that Rousey v Stephanie McMahon match at Mania or they could have her debut on the night after Wrestlemania to face down the women's champion.

I think there's money in having her debut, become champ and building throughout the year for Asuka v Rousey at a PPV like Survivor Series

Why would Ronda Lousy sign with wwe? She has had two big defeats at the hands of Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes while both matches were for the title. She will lay low and make a huge comeback in UFC! All her fans would rip her to shreds and call her a sellout if she signed with the wwe. Dana White even said Ronda will be back in UFC. Read the article http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...ousey-retire-amanda-nunes-20161231-story.html

Just because she suffered 2 defeats doesn t mean she will head to embarassing entertainment ? What next will you say CM Punk will also head to wwe since he lost 2 fights come on now? Logic thinking and making speculations and rumors is not an answer lol
White paid Lousy 3 million for a 48 second fight why would she head to wwe for less money? If anyone will head to wwe it will be Amanda Nunes for promotion and guest appearance which she will decline most likely as Cyborg did years ago!
Theres no money to be made for wwe and Ronda will not be an attraction for wrestlecrap since the matches themselves present snooze fest so far!

 

[Navi]

Why would Ronda Lousy sign with wwe? She has had two big defeats at the hands of Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes while both matches were for the title. She will lay low and make a huge comeback in UFC! All her fans would rip her to shreds and call her a sellout if she signed with the wwe. Dana White even said Ronda will be back in UFC. Read the article http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...ousey-retire-amanda-nunes-20161231-story.html

Just because she suffered 2 defeats doesn t mean she will head to embarassing entertainment ? What next will you say CM Punk will also head to wwe since he lost 2 fights come on now? Logic thinking and making speculations and rumors is not an answer lol
White paid Lousy 3 million for a 48 second fight why would she head to wwe for less money? If anyone will head to wwe it will be Amanda Nunes for promotion and guest appearance which she will decline most likely as Cyborg did years ago!
Theres no money to be made for wwe and Ronda will not be an attraction for wrestlecrap since the matches themselves present snooze fest so far!

Maybe they are getting that impression because of what happened at Mania between Stephanie, HHH, Rock and Ronda. She's made it no secret that she is a fan of the WWE, and has said in the past she wouldn't be opposed to facing the Women's Champion at one of the big PPV's.

She has been a fan of wrestling for a long time now and if they give her what she wants, she might just come. I think it's a mistake but now that she is no longer a huge deal in UFC the offers might not come as fast and as furious as they once did. She doesn't need the money, but it's a way for her to keep her name out there. Her future with UFC isn't cut in stone either, so I have no idea why you think she will continue to fight in the Octagon. It took her a year to recover from her last loss, this one might just be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Rousey was once seen as invincible and even though she paved the way for other's in UFC, they have come up fast and are now contenders. Ronda might want to get out while the going is good, one more loss and she is done for sure.

 

[stingray11214]

I believe Johnathan Coachman when he says that the WWE is not in the business of repairing broken stars. There is a school of thought out there that believes that Rousey is still money for UFC. That UFC needs her more than she needs them. I tend to doubt that after the two savage beatings she received. It will come to a point where people will see right through her, and look for some other reason to drop $70. The other school of thought, which Justin LaBar has been yelping is that Rousey would be the Lesnar for the Women's division. He is just as insane. Rousey has ZERO clue as to how to fight in the WWE style. She would have to go through NXT. The question is: Can Rousey put her ego in check long enough to listen to Adam Bloom and Sara Amato on to how to perform?

Personally, she should stay in Hollywood. Rousey is finished as a BANKABLE star in UFC. Sure, Dana White may get a bit of insanity and create UFC 220 with Rousey vs X. But, once people see the two beatdowns she took, does anyone HONESTLY believe that people will still go out of their way to drop $70? Second, does she even have it MENTALLY to keep her ego in check in order to go through the NXT training? She will be far better off staying in Hollywood, where she has already started building a name for herself, than to basically start all over with WWE.

 

[Dysturbed]

What's the point? Her credibility is shot right now.

In WWE, her image would still possibly be intact with minimal effort, despite the losses in UFC.

Things like showing up, then a heel diva talks smack to her and she knocks them out or gives them an armbar in return, would likely lead to cheers just like that, though the key would be to sustain that kind of thing in future appearances.

Or, if WWE anticipates possible negative chants from the crowds, and plan to have her react to them like a heel, or maybe even attack a face out of anger, as a result, then she can potentially have credibility as a heel in WWE.

With those hypothetical scenarios or certain other ones, there will potentially be something that she and WWE can work with. I'm not saying that it should happen, but realistically, in the specific context of sports entertainment, it won't necessarily that difficult for her to achieve credibility. Of course it can't come too much at the expense of others.

 

[LBGetBack]

In WWE, her image would still possibly be intact with minimal effort, despite the losses in UFC.

Things like showing up, then a heel diva talks smack to her and she knocks them out or gives them an armbar in return, would likely lead to cheers just like that, though the key would be to sustain that kind of thing in future appearances.

Or, if WWE anticipates possible negative chants from the crowds, and plan to have her react to them like a heel, or maybe even attack a face out of anger, as a result, then she can potentially have credibility as a heel in WWE.

With those hypothetical scenarios or certain other ones, there will potentially be something that she and WWE can work with. I'm not saying that it should happen, but realistically, in the specific context of sports entertainment, it won't necessarily that difficult for her to achieve credibility. Of course it can't come too much at the expense of others.

I don't see it. People know what's happened to her lately. And the women's division is strong right now! Both performance wise and popularity wise! Probably the strongest it's ever been. They don't need her.

Bringing her in for a one off to lose to Charlotte or something....fine. Or bringing her in for a special attraction match with Stephanie or in the mixed tag with Rock and HHH...fine. But that's it. Any kind of regular run is unnecessary and pointless in my opinion.

 

[Dysturbed]

I agree that they don't need her, which is why I stressed that I wasn't saying that it should happen.

My point was that if they do insist on signing her regardless of not needing her, I don't think that will necessarily be as hard for her to earn credibility in the confines of WWE as some people do. We do know what happened with her lately, which is why I mentioned that WWE could in theory be smart play off of that if need be. In a sense it's easier for fans to overlook certain things when WWE doesn't try to pretend that they don't or didn't happen.

 

[Greg4WWE]

Rousey is the worst sore loser I have ever seen. I don't want her near WWE. They are doing just fine. We don't need a "Brock Lesnar" of the women's division, especially after 2 brutal losses.

If Rousey has the heart and guts to do it again and make a comeback then maybe. But right now the way she has handled defeat is a clown show IMO.

 

[#tamale]

Rousey would need to look at the big picture. Her UFC career is over. The two films she was slated to star are currently halted with questions regarding her acting ability. With this loss to Nunes it seems her Hollywood career is over before it even began. Her options are fading.

With all this mind, now would be the perfect time for Rousey to make a career transition. Coach is half-right. She is a broken star, but there is a story there which would could be a huge moneymaker for all parties involved. Me personally, I would have her start from developmental and build herself up to be a huge WWE star.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

It's already been pointed out, but not only did Lesnar have the training to be a pro wrestler, when he returned in 2012, he already had that built in connection with the fans. Lesnar was a star on the rise, when he left in 2004, so his sudden departure left a lot of "what if?" scenarios. Rousey doesn't have that.

We're looking at someone who has a broken spirit, her confidence is clearly shattered, and not too long ago, we're talking about someone who contemplated suicide. Putting her in the spotlight anytime soon probably isn't a good idea, and I don't know the woman personally, but you can only imagine where she'll go mentally, if she suffers another setback.

The aura and the mystique Rousey had, as this seemingly unstoppable and invincible bad ass is gone. Maybe you could say the loss to Holm was a fluke at first, but that's not the case now. WWE couldn't strike while the iron was hot a few years ago to bring Rousey in, and now I'm not so sure she'll receive a strong or positive reaction, if they bring her in. If they try to use her as this dominant force, who can easily manhandle and dispose of Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, and others, there's a good chance the fans won't buy into it now, and you can't rule out the possibility of noticeable "overrated" chants.

The days of Rousey coming to WWE as this big time special attraction are long gone. I'm not saying Rousey in WWE can't work, but she doesn't have the cachet of a superstar anymore. I think she needs time to collect herself, and I can't see it happening this year, but maybe in 2018.