From the WWE Rumor Mill: Current plans for Ronda Rousey in WWE
What's the story?
Ronda Rousey and WWE have flirted with the idea of working together for quite a while now. Sparks flew between Ronda Rousey and her MMA Horsewoman and WWE's incarnation of the Horsewomen at the Mae Young Classic.
It was a pretty intense display but it looks like the rumoured match at Survivor Series between the eight women isn't going to happen. However, Dave Meltzer has said in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE might have even bigger plans for this feud.
In case you didn't know...
Ronda Rousey's name means money in the pay-per-view world. Defeats inside the Octagon have done little to diminish her extremely impressive drawing power.
The heart of the matter
The general thinking was WWE might book a Four Horsewomen vs Four Horsewomen match at Survivor Series, but it turns out this is not the case. With the Raw vs SmackDown theme of the show, it wouldn't make sense.
Dave Meltzer reports in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the word going around is that the proposed MMA vs WWE women's match is still scheduled to take place, but it will be at WrestleMania.
The feeling is Ronda Rousey, Jessamyn Duke, and Marina Shafir need extra time to get ready to compete in this kind of a high-profile match. After all, WWE doesn't want them to be totally unprepared for a pro wrestling match.
Of course, Shayna Baszler is more than ready to compete in a WWE ring, seeing how she made it to the finals of the Mae Young Classic.
It was also reported that Ronda Rousey has been at the WWE Performance Center this past week.
What's next?
If you're waiting to see what these ladies can do in the ring then it looks like it's going to happen, only it may take a little longer than expected. WrestleMania 34 is looking even bigger each week.
Author's take
It's a good thing WWE is holding off on this match. In reality, Rousey, Duke, and Shafir are bound to be at least a little green in the first place when they step in the ring. After all, it's unlikely that they will get any real experience in the ring without too much public spotlight due to their name recognition.
Their previous experience in combat sports will help them demonstrate a good enough persona, but pro wrestling is an entirely different game than MMA. WrestleMania is going to be fun.