Predicting If Ronda Rousey Will Be a Full-Time WWE Star or the Next Brock Lesnar

The women's division in WWE is about to get a lot more interesting.

If recent online rumors are true, Ronda Rousey is on her way to Vince McMahon's very ring. According to Fightful (h/t MMA Mania's Jesse Holland), the UFC fighter may begin training very soon with 205 Live's Brian Kendrick. Evidently, Rousey is on the road to WWE, though the company has yet to announce it officially.

So if she does come in, what will WWE do with her? Are wrestling fans looking at the next Brock Lesnar?

The knee-jerk reaction over this story by many is sure to be negative. Following two shocking losses in the Octagon, Rousey appears to be finished with MMA. But is that enough reason to jump ship from her world to the world of WWE? It could be that the wrestling business was her fallback plan, and now she's deciding to finally live her dream of competing on the WWE stage.

Will she be welcomed with open arms, or booed out of the building? Therein lies the issue with this signing.

Star Power and the Women's Division

Fans know she's a star. There's no question about that. To suggest that WWE would actually pass on her instead of doing business and grabbing headlines all over the world in the process is a ridiculous notion, to say the least.

Rousey brings fans, she brings exposure, and more importantly, she brings publicity. Vince McMahon would be horribly remiss if he chose to say no, which is surely not what's happened. She's a phenom, and of all the top stars from outside the business, she is the one who could easily have the most successful transition.

Rousey could very well be a natural between the ropes.

Then there's the fact that women's wrestling in WWE has had incredible growth over the past two years thanks in part to Rousey, and she was never even on the roster.

She was the one who popularized the whole idea of the strong and capable female fighter, a woman who was tough-as-nails and could dominate her opponents. Rousey's gimmick was not centered on her physical appearance or runway glitz; it was based on her as a credible, competent athlete.

That was a foreign concept for WWE's women's division. Trish Stratus and Lita were respected, but Rousey took it to a much different level. WWE incorporated those ideas into the Women's Revolution, and the female Superstars have been killing it in main event matches since then.

But is all of that enough for fans to immediately embrace Rousey as the next big thing? She is indeed a star, but she's not a pro wrestler. Will that make a difference? Fans often tend to circle the wagons and unite together against a common enemy. It happened with John Cena. It's happening with Roman Reigns. It's also happened to Lesnar.

The Part-Time Beast

Lesnar is a freak of nature, a beast in every sense of the word. He's a super heavyweight who can bounce around the ring like a man half his size. He's a legitimate tough guy and has proved himself time and again—not only in the ring but also in the Octagon. But every time he wins the top championship and leaves for months on end, fans begin to grumble.

His limited schedule means he's only around when he's booked in a major feud. That's no secret, and fans have come to expect it. However, that doesn't prevent the criticism from flowing, especially when all of the top guys on Monday Night Raw are battling for the title, yet the champ is nowhere to be found. No one can blame WWE for wanting to spotlight Lesnar as an attraction, similar to the way Andre the Giant was.

But Lesnar is fully capable of working a full-time schedule and giving fans what they want every week on TV. Even if he only worked once a month on Raw and every month on the red brand's pay-per-view, it would still be more than what he's doing now. Of course, WWE has engineered Lesnar's entire run and programmed the audience to accept him for the part-time Superstar that he is.

Will the same be done for Rousey?

If she jumps in feet first and gets going, then she could become a regular staple on weekly WWE TV. She wouldn't need to work every show, as just her presence alone would be enough to get fans to tune in. Then when a pay-per-view happens, she would be booked on the card. Semi-main or main event matches would not be out of the question, especially if she's ready to go in the ring.

But that's assuming she does come in. Triple H recently spoke with CBS Sports' Brian Campbell and may or may not have planted a seed of doubt among WWE fans with his comments.

"I think [Rousey] is in a transition period in her life and is in a great place. I think she's getting married soon or something. Look, she has got a lot going on, but I'm all about creating opportunities. That's what the Mae Young Classic is all about -- creating opportunities for these women that they never had before. If Ronda Rousey wants that opportunity, I'd be happy to talk to her about it."

Of course, if things are moving ahead, WWE may perhaps want to keep it under wraps for a big surprise down the road. That would suggest Rousey could come in with more fanfare than anyone in recent memory. Provided her training went well, any backlash that could come as a result of her jumping ahead of anyone else would be diminished based upon her ability. If she's ready, she's ready. The women's division would benefit from her inclusion, and fans would see that she's serious about making it work.

However, if she's part-time, then all bets are off. Coming in and dominating established stars such as Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss or Becky Lynch would ultimately not bode well for her. It's not a popularity contest, but fans know who they like and who they respect. Rousey would be the outsider in the equation and could struggle through a run similar to that of Reigns.

Making the Headlines

WWE will certainly capitalize on Rousey's involvement, which is the whole point of bringing her in. ESPN will be in the loop, as will all major television outlets, and it will flood social media from the moment it happens. The news will bombard the headlines, and WWE will get more mainstream coverage than it has in a while.

Will all of that continue if Rousey blends into the WWE machine from that point on?

Lesnar is still a hot commodity thanks to how he's used, which means Rousey likely has the same future ahead of her. If she does become a regular fixture on TV, then will she be special anymore? Establishing respect from the WWE faithful is important because it will directly affect her standing as a wildly popular top Superstar.

But if she's used sparingly, that much-needed respect may not come. The onus is on WWE to get this right, or it could backfire before it even gets started.

Then there's the booking. What will the company do with her?

The Booking Plan

The most obvious opponent in Rousey's future is Charlotte Flair. From the moment Charlotte came to the main roster and began her reign as the queen of WWE, fans have been talking about a possible dream match with Rousey. Now that dream is likely going to become a reality. But it may not stop there.

Those same fans have also been talking about what would happen if Rousey stepped into the ring with Stephanie McMahon. Is that what all of this is leading to? Is Rousey vs. McMahon at WrestleMania 34 the ultimate destination? If so, then will Rousey be gone the moment the final bell rings?

If that happens, then it will indeed be Lesnar all over again.

WWE has a chance to make some serious waves with Rousey as a new Superstar. If her training goes well and she adapts to the business, then she would surely fit right in. But if she's just another talent on the roster, then the company would likely see that as a waste of time. However, if she's serious and wants to make this her new career, then she will obviously want to be there. Perhaps her status depends on just how much she wants it.

She could become the next big thing, but WWE will likely keep her to a limited schedule. It's worked for Lesnar in many respects, though it's not necessarily been a guaranteed hit every time. Rousey is indeed special, and that's how WWE will see her as well.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com