Ronda Rousey's Arrival Would Force WWE to Rethink How It Books Divas Division

WWE's slow-going Divas Revolution would have to pick up speed to accommodate Ronda Rousey.

The current Divas division is not befitting of a beast like her. It's a flawed segment of WWE programming that undervalues talented women and too often dips into soap-opera territory.

That would have to change, and WWE would have to do some major housekeeping should the UFC women's bantamweight champ step into the squared circle.

It's a place she has long been vocal about wanting to be. The fearsome judoka recently spoke up about a potential WWE future again.

Rousey had WWE's ears pointed upward when she told Damon Martin of Fox Sports:

"

What I would love to do: I got an Olympic medal, I would want to retire from MMA as one of the greatest of all time, I would love to have the chance to be the boxing world champion, and I would love to have the chance to be a jiu-jitsu world champion. I'd love to have the chance to be the Divas world champion and just be the best of everything at one point.

"

WWE had to be thrilled to hear that.

It made sure to post a link to that quote. Triple H tweeted that Rousey was "always welcomed." And current Divas champ Charlotte responded with a challenge:

The sports entertainment giant would of course move mountains to get that to happen. Rousey is a once-in-a-generation star, managing to transcend beyond the world of MMA and into the fabric of pop culture. She could do for WWE what Brock Lesnar did for UFC: move the dial.

For her to be a part of WWE would be a major victory for the company.

And by the changes she would necessitate, she would lead to a number of victories for the division as a whole. 

Approach Angles Differently 

Too often, WWE defines its women by the men in their lives.

Summer Rae went from being Fandango's dance partner to Rusev's new Lana to Dolph Ziggler's potential mistress to Tyler Breeze's arm candy. AJ Lee wormed her way into the spotlight as part of a story where she tried to romance Kane, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

That can't happen with either Rousey or her opponent.

That battle can't be about jealousy. There can be no catfighting. That's just a poor fit for who Rousey is, stripping of her intimidating aura.

WWE wouldn't ask The Undertaker to do a dancing gimmick, and it can't ask Rousey to be a part of melodrama. Whatever plot unfolds involving Rousey, it can't be the kind of petty, all-women-secretly-hate-each-other garbage that WWE regularly puts on the screen.

Before Brie and Nikki Bella's sister-versus-sister clash, WWE tried to add bad blood by way of Nikki bringing up how Brie treated her in high school. 

Should Rousey join WWE, the company has to stay far away from stories like that. It will instead have to present her feud in a more straightforward, serious way. She needs to have real animosity, real personal issues and believable motivation to go after her foe.

WWE would be smart to borrow from UFC's style of buildup, presenting Rousey's WWE climb with a focus on championships, legacy and pride.

Any other narrative path makes a mockery of her and would be a waste of what she brings to the company. She would be the most powerful female force it has ever seen. That takes special handling.

And it takes a special opponent.

Build Up Contenders

If Rousey walks into the WWE arena, she will find no suitable gladiators to test her. That's because WWE has used 50-50 booking too regularly.

As an MMA fighter, no one has touched Rousey. She sits at 12-0. And thanks to her trademark armbar, many of her fights have been shorter than Undertaker's entrance.

Her potential foes have far less stellar records. WWE doesn't do a good enough job of sticking with a handful of stars and elevating them.

As a result, Charlotte has lost four matches since becoming Divas champion just over a month ago. Paige has a .481 winning percentage this year, and despite being the champ for most of the year, Nikki Bella has just a .563 winning percentage in 2015.

To make those women look worthy of colliding with Rousey, WWE is going to have to go full-throttle on their pushes. 

Charlotte or Sasha Banks or whoever the company chooses for Rousey's foil needs a series of wins, and emphatic, decisive wins at that. They can't come in a bunch of tag matches either; they need to be one-on-one triumphs that sell the wrestler as a legitimate threat to Rousey.

WWE did a tremendous job of doing that for Lesnar to get him ready for Undertaker before WrestleMania 30. 

The Beast Incarnate dislocated Mark Henry's elbow, and when the big man came back for revenge, Lesnar throttled him once more.

Lesnar didn't just defeat Big Show at the 2014 Royal Rumble, he beat him down until the giant couldn't move, until there were broken folding chairs dotting the ring area.

This is the kind of treatment both Rousey's foes and Rousey herself need prior to their showdown. It's not normally a path WWE takes with its women, but having such a dominant force on the roster requires the company to evade the status quo.

Make Space on the Card

WWE has made progress in showcasing its women, but they are still a low priority. That has to change with Rousey aboard.

She forces the Divas division to be a more vital part of the booking puzzle, as she's a centerpiece star. UFC recognized that early on and made her a main eventer several times over and often the face of its promotion of an event.

When Nikki was champion, WWE managed to get her on just about every pay-per-view but mainly as just an add-on. 

Minimal thought was put into her contribution to the show. At the Royal Rumble, she teamed with her sister against Paige and Natalya in a throwaway bout. At Payback, WWE booked her and Brie against Tamina Snuka and Naomi in a match with little stakes and less story. 

Five times during her reign, the PPV match lasted under eight minutes. The Divas had the shortest match at four of those shows, including at WrestleMania.

That must change with a women's division boasting Rousey. WWE has to turn to what its developmental brand is doing to spearhead an evolution in women's wrestling.

Banks' and Bayley's two NXT women's title classics had all the pre-bout trimmings that the men's bout had: a contract signing, a promotional vignette and a full-court press effort from the marketing team.

That's what needs to happen with Rousey around. Her star power demands it.  

Former WWE writer Kevin Eck wondered on his blog whether Rousey vs. Charlotte "could headline a WWE pay-per-view and even co-headline WrestleMania if it ever took place." It sure could. But the company can't just shove those women into that spot.

There's work to be done before the division is ready to take that step, and should Rousey make good on her plans to seek the Divas title, her presence will push WWE to make those changes. 

WWE match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.