As UFC 207 approaches, we gear up to witness the return of the best known female MMA star in the world, Ronda Rousey, after more than a year! On December 30, 2016, Ronda Rousey will enter the Octagon to square off against Amanda Nunes, the current reigning and defending UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion!
Whatever the outcome of this contest, we at Sportskeeda believe that Ronda Rousey’s future lies outside the Octagon, and inside the confines of the professional wrestling ring. While this may come as a surprise to some of you reading this piece, we’re sure this is a possibility that Ronda herself has considered in the past and is a very serious possibility for her in the future.
Here are 5 reasons Ronda needs to come to WWE and leave the Octagon in the rearview!
#5 Her fondness for professional wrestling
Ronda Rousey makes no bones about the fact that she’s a huge fan of sports entertainment herself. Growing up a WWE mark, Rousey called her appearance at Wrestlemania 31 with the Rock (against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon) a dream come true.
She said she had wanted to be a part of Wrestlemania since she was a kid, and said that the mega event has ‘such a special atmosphere.’
It is a well-known fact that Ronda Rousey has borrowed her ‘Rowdy’ nickname from professional wrestling legend, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper. When her friends had suggested the name to her, she had thought it would be disrespectful to simply borrow the name as is!
However, Piper gave his blessing for Ronda to use the nickname and make it her own! Rousey even met Piper days before he died in the year 2015 and reportedly spoke for hours.
If you're still not convinced, Ronda Rousey has mentioned in the past that she wishes to be WWE Women’s Champion someday!
#4 Playing the Mike Tyson role
It is fairly certain that either Charlotte or Sasha Banks will go down in history as the greatest female wrestler of all time. Could Ronda Rousey be the catalyst that catapults Women’s Wrestling to new heights, much like Mike Tyson did with Stone Cold Steve Austin in the late 90s?
The push that eventually brought about the hottest period in sports entertainment!
WWE is constantly searching for mainstream celebrities whose presence will attract eyeballs to the WWE product. Ronda Rousey is ideal in that role because WWE is always looking to ensnare the MMA audience that may have an affinity for sports entertainment.
UFC benefited heavily from CM Punk and Brock Lesnar participating inside the octagon. Ronda Rousey could do the very same thing for WWE!
#3 Ready feud with the four horsewomen!
Unlike WCW, who actually made money with the nWo invasion storyline, WWE has botched every single invasion angle that they have ever attempted! The time is right for what could be the hottest feud in 2017.
The Four Horsemen were the dominant heel stable during the NWA/WCW days, consisting of various members in different incarnations through its long tenure. At present, however, there are two groups that call themselves the Four Horsewomen, and use the hand gesture made legendary by Ric Flair and company.
The MMA world has Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke, whereas the professional wrestling world has Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Bayley. In an ideal scenario, a Survivor Series match between the factions would be off the charts, with an invasion storyline.
However, just Ronda Rousey coming in and challenging the Four Horsewomen would be pretty rad as well!
Ummm. Wooooo!
#2 Ronda’s almost done with UFC now
Ronda Rousey lost her first ever UFC fight to Holly Holm, more than a year ago. The loss affected her so grievously that she began to have suicidal thoughts, as confessed this on an episode of The Ellen Degeneres Show! She mentioned then that her fight against Nunes would be one of her last!
While Rousey mentioned looking at Hollywood to earn her keep after she's done with the Octagon, we know WWE is on the cards as well. The physical nature of wrestling is something Ronda is perfect for! Additionally, while performers do get seriously injured inside the ring, the risks are lower than inside the Octagon.
This makes the prospect of a run in WWE an appealing proposition for Rousey.
We can only wait for Rousey to appear on an episode of Raw someday to challenge Charlotte Flair to a huge match!
#1 WWE Loves Ronda Rousey
We quote Stephanie McMahon, WWE’s Chief Brand Officer here: ‘Our fans love Ronda. Ronda has this cross-platform appeal in terms of all forms of entertainment. We would welcome her with open arms. She is the total package.’
Need we say more? Long-time WWE fans know that a positive equation with your bosses is somehow a bigger deal than in-ring skills. WWE wants Rousey, and the McMahons always succeed.
McMahon herself was part of a segment with Rousey. This is what she had to say: ‘The moment was awe inspiring’, adding that Rousey’s presence brought magic to the air. We think Ronda Rousey’s headed to WWE for sure!
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