WWE News: Paul Heyman wants Ronda Rousey in WWE
What’s the story?
Speaking on the ‘Fight Society’ podcast, Paul Heyman discussed the possibility of Ronda Rousey joining WWE, and he is of the opinion that she could have a successful run with the company.
The Background
Rousey’s UFC future is unclear after her devastating defeats to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. Her most recent loss intensified speculation that she may be about to retire from the Octagon to pursue other interests.
Also read: 8 WWE opponents for Ronda Rousey
It’s no secret that Ronda is a huge pro-wrestling fan and she has worked with WWE in the past, most memorably her appearance at WrestleMania 31.
However, this memorable moment came when Rousey was still undefeated in UFC. Since then, she has been beaten convincingly by both Holm and Nunes, and some people have suggested that this has soured any interest that WWE may have had in bringing her in.
The heart of the matter
Heyman believes that fans of WWE would love to see Rousey try her hand at pro-wrestling, regardless of her recent defeats inside the Octagon.
"I think the WWE audience would embrace Ronda Rousey with open arms," Heyman said. "Just her name recognition alone is huge. It doesn't matter, her past two experiences in the UFC. All that matters is if she got involved in a story that people could relate to and sink their teeth into and get excited about."
It also appears that Heyman would be willing to work alongside the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion, should she decide to move from the Octagon to the squared circle.
“I think Ronda Rousey doing anything in WWE is a natural fit. I'd love to see it, and would be happy to discuss with her all the benefits that she could enure by being a Paul Heyman girl."
Parallels from history
Rousey wouldn’t be the first athlete to transition from MMA to professional wrestling, with Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock having accomplished this in the 1990s. Also, more recently, Brock Lesnar was able to return to WWE in 2012 after back to back losses in UFC, and that didn’t hurt his credibility one bit; in fact, he went on to become one of the biggest draws in the company.
Author’s take
Ronda Rousey’s recent downturn in fortunes does not change the fact that she is the best female athlete to ever compete in UFC and is one of the biggest names in all of combat sports.
If Ronda were to come to WWE, she would certainly garner interest in the product from casual fans and add legitimacy to the women’s division.
It would be unlikely that she would work a full-time schedule, and why would she?
Rousey would be a unique attraction, and her association with WWE would benefit both sides and take the much talked about ‘Women’s wrestling revolution’ to new heights.
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