From the WWE Rumour Mill: Update on how WWE is set to use Ronda Rousey
What's the story?
Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey made her debut in WWE back at The Royal Rumble last Sunday night and it seems that many of the WWE Universe have questioned why the former MMA star didn't cut a promo and was only there to point at the WrestleMania sign, it seems that there is a good reason behind this.
In case you didn't know...
Ronda has been rumoured to be added to the WWE roster ever since she appeared at WrestleMania 31 and was part of a segment which also included Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and The Rock.
Ronda hasn't had the same level of training and acting lessons as many of the women on the current roster, which could be why the company aren't looking at allowing her to go toe-to-toe with any of the women when it comes to cutting promos and building up matches.
The heart of the matter
Ronda Rousey hasn't been seen on WWE TV since her debut on Sunday night, but it seems that Dave Meltzer had a lot to say about Ronda on The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, where it seems that Ronda has been labelled "The Stephanie McMahon project"
"It would be a huge mistake for her to do the kind of in-ring promos they want headliners to do, and it’s a no-brainer to link her with Paul Heyman. Heyman would also be the best person to be a real-life advocate as far as what her persona should and shouldn’t do, like he does with Brock Lesnar and did with Bill Goldberg. Left to a creative team that likely doesn’t understand who she is and know what she should and shouldn’t be doing, this probably has the odds of falling flat."
It seems that even though Ronda isn't someone who the company are going to put a manager with, there could be some huge plans for her moving forward.
"This is a Stephanie McMahon project. The idea is very much to create a female superstar at the level of the biggest male superstars. She comes in with the fame, has the look, the background and the athletic ability. She has the ability to garner press outside of pro wrestling far more than anyone on the current roster. Roman Reigns isn’t much of a talker, but he’s the male equivalent right now, but he’s also had years to figure out how to handle all the curve balls."
Ronda is already the biggest female star that the company has and it seems that the company needs to ensure that she is always seen as such.
What's next?
The current plans are rumoured to see Ronda Rousey and The Rock take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania in what could be a huge match. The Rock isn't currently locked into his position at WrestleMania though, so it seems that Ronda's partner choice is still up in the air.
Author's take
Ronda is a huge acquisition for WWE and even though the hardest part is over now that she's made her debut, it seems that there is still a long way ahead of her as she looks to become a star in a wrestling ring. She will be the first female who has been able to make the switch from MMA to WWE on its main roster aside from Sonya Deville who didn't have as much of an impact in the world of MMA as Ronda.
The former UFC Champion can only help boost the women's division but the booking team know that they need to book her next few months to perfection if they hope for her make an impact in WWE.