WWE Hall of Famer reveals why Ronda Rousey surprised him
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle hailed Ronda Rousey as a world-class athlete during a recent interview and shared why he was surprised by the former women's champion.
Angle and Rousey briefly worked together as a mixed tag team when The Baddest Woman on the Planet first arrived in WWE. The duo faced Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a match at WrestleMania 34 that marked Ronda Rousey's in-ring debut.
Angle is also one of Rousey's trainers, and he noted how he was surprised by her speed at learning the theatrics of pro-wrestling. He credited the former women's champion for quickly getting comfortable with other aspects of in-ring performance inside the squared circle.
During an interview with The Zaslow Show on AM 560 Sports WQAM (Miami), Kurt Angle discussed Ronda Rousey's pro-wrestling career at length and said:
"She is. But she picked up on the theatrics of it as well. You know, there's a lot of emotion and psychology involved in pro wrestling that she picked up pretty quickly, that I was really surprised. I mean, she is a world-class athlete, nothing wrong with that. You definitely want a world-class athlete in professional wrestling. But to be able to pick up the character and the psychology, that is really tough to do, especially as quickly as she did." (h/t WrestleZone)
Tappin the ring off #itsminenow #jknotmystyle twitter.com/rondarouseyszn…
Ronda Rousey credits Kurt Angle on WWE SmackDown
The latest episode of the blue brand saw Ronda Rousey send a warning to Charlotte Flair ahead of their title match at WrestleMania 38. The Royal Rumble winner is adamant about making the SmackDown Women's Champion tap out.
"I'm either going home with your arm, or you're gonna TAP OUT."
#SmackDown #WrestleMania @RondaRousey @MsCharlotteWWE https://t.co/P7oFrk5fvY
Rousey asserted her point by invoking Kurt Angle's name and said that the Olympic Gold Medalist taught her how to improve her ankle lock, a maneuver she wishes to try on The Queen.
The final moments of SmackDown also saw Rousey and Flair engage in a brutal brawl backstage. Several officials tried to keep the two superstars away from each other, but the champion eventually managed to get the better of everyone around her.
Charlotte Flair dominated Ronda Rousey in this segment, and it will be interesting to see how the latter will hit back in the weeks leading up to WWE WrestleMania 38.