Wrestling legend says 31-year-old star's feud against Ronda Rousey "won't excite anybody" (Exclusive)
Ronda Rousey is in an interesting position. She has suffered a handful of defeats this year, losing a few crucial matches. 2022 saw Rousey win the Women's Royal Rumble and have two reigns as the SmackDown Women's Champion. Wrestling legend Dutch Mantell spoke about the recent storyline with Charlotte Flair and why it's better than The Rowdy One feuding with 31-year-old Raquel Rodriguez.
Raquel Rodriguez, unfortunately, served as a filler opponent for Rousey. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown, she lost to Rousey in a SmackDown Women's Championship match. After the bout, Charlotte Flair returned and swiftly regained the title she lost in May 2022.
On the latest episode of Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell said that Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey was always going to be a significant draw. He stated that The Rowdy One continuing her feud against Raquel Rodriguez wouldn't excite anybody:
"Charlotte may [draw] because she filled a position that needed to be filled. Ronda [Rousey] needed an opponent. If they try to run her with Raquel [Rodriguez] in a live event, that wouldn't excite anybody, even on TV - nothing. They know who's going to win, kind of. They hurt themselves worse. With Charlotte, you have a whole different set-up, a totally different outlook. Who knows what they can do with it? Give them the clay and see what they can mold with it. And we'll know in 2 or 3 weeks whether it worked or not." (8:35 - 9:23)
You can watch the full video below:
Dutch Mantell says the Ronda Rousey problem is what most bookers face
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The general concern seems that if Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey continue their feud, the dynamic with Flair being the babyface may not translate well on screen. However, Dutch Mantell explained that this is a problem that a lot of bookers face in wrestling:
"I don't overthink. I just go, 'let's shoot it! let's go!' and if it doesn't work, that's fine. I learned the saying a long time ago, 'Hey if we've got 51 more weeks this year that's 51 more shows. And if something ain't right, we'll fix it.' Somehow, some way. That's why a lot of times a lot of bookers fall into stuff by accident."
Mantell further elaborated on his opinion on the WWE SmackDown feud:
"They're trying to fix another mistake they made back here and all of a sudden something else happens and the people pop and say 'well that might be the answer', and a lot of times it is. I've seen it happen a 100 times." (10:53-11:30)
Do you agree with Mantell's comments about Ronda Rousey feuding with Raquel Rodriguez? Voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
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