"One of the greatest of all time" - Mickie James credits WWE legend for helping Ronda Rousey (Exclusive)
Former WWE Superstar Mickie James credited Kurt Angle for helping Ronda Rousey successfully transition into the wrestling world.
The Rowdy One was one of the fiercest fighters to step inside the octagon, and the switch from MMA to sports entertainment was not an easy one. However, The Baddest Woman on the Planet had the honor of learning from Kurt Angle. The WWE Hall of Famer helped her in the early days of her time with WWE.
In an interview with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Mickie James discussed Angle's impact on Ronda Rousey's wrestling career. The veteran described how the former UFC star was a very passionate learner, which is why she used to approach Angle for help.
"She's very driven and very smart and she was very passionate about [ learning pro wrestling] with Kurt," said James. "Like, she'd ask Kurt Angle as he was helping her a lot backstage on learning and trying to make that transition because he was one of the first people to really transition."
James continued to talk about Kurt Angle, stating that he's one of the greatest superstars that has ever transitioned from sports to professional wrestling.
"He is the greatest of all time," James continued. "To transition from a sport of such a high level to then go on and be incredible and become one of the greatest of all time. From his promos to his match style to all the things where he could implement his Olympic style into entertainment wrestling or sports wrestling." [5:07 to 5:50]
Ronda Rousey faced off against Mickie James in WWE
Mickie James is no stranger to standing across the ring from The Baddest Woman on the Planet. The two stars faced each other on RAW in 2018; they clashed in an unscheduled RAW Women's Championship match.
The bout didn't last long, as Ronda Rousey went all in as soon as the bell rang. The five-time WWE Women's Champion tried to get back in the match with a few strikes and kicks. But The Rowdy One ultimately shrugged them off and countered with an arm-bar to get the win in under two minutes.
.@MickieJames took control over @RondaRousey in this match on #RAW... https://t.co/CDDGrLTkgs
Although the two women were part of the Royal Rumble this year, a face-off between the two couldn't happen. Mickie James was eliminated from the battle royal before Ronda Rousey entered the match.
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