WWE Making Horrible Mistake Rushing Ronda Rousey into Raw Women's Title Scene

WWE is ditching the tried-and-true formula with Ronda Rousey's rise to contention, and it's uncomfortable to watch.

Pro wrestling is often a formulaic medium. Variations of the same narrative play out every week: tag team partners turn on each other, an underdog does the improbable, a villain gets his comeuppance. WWE turns to these tropes because they work. If done well, they maximize drama and create powerful climaxes.

That's in part why the decision to book Rousey in a Raw Women's Championship this early on is so jarring. It defies tradition and the natural rhythm of wrestling storytelling.

Rousey and Raw women's champ Nia Jax crossed paths at the NBCUniversal Upfront in New York on Monday. Jax held her recently won championship in front of Rousey's face and challenged her to a title bout. The former UFC star hesitated but eventually accepted.

And with that, it was official—Rousey would take on Jax for the gold at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on June 17.

Rousey hasn't climbed the proverbial ladder. She hasn't overcome a series of struggles. The Baddest Woman on the Planet has only had one WWE match so far. 

For her to now jump into a PPV championship contest is like Luke Skywalker skipping the whole Jedi training stuff and going straight from Tatooine farmboy to blowing up the Death Star. 

Brad Shepard of Bodyslam.net is among those critical of the move:

He's right. There are multiple issues with this head-scratcher.

For one, Rousey's first title match should have been a huge moment, not something thrown into the mix like this. Her earning the No. 1 contender's spot just in time for WrestleMania 35 would have allowed for her to create more buzz, for her legend to grow.

WWE did well to make her debut match a huge deal, saving it for its biggest show of the year and involving two surefire future Hall of Famers. The company did well to create hype by filming her training and giving fans flashes of Rousey in action beforehand.

It's not being nearly as patient with Rousey's first shot at championship gold.

The rush job has a far less compelling, well-developed narrative than WWE might have created elsewhere.

Rousey could have been the lead in a story of an outsider earning respect one impressive victory at a time. Or else, she could have been a dominant force ripping through the division a la Asuka. 

Credit: WWE.com

Instead, we're getting a babyface-against-babyface meeting between two foes with zero bad blood.

The clash is the result of an impromptu challenge made in passing. That's how you book a Titus O'Neil vs. Baron Corbin match, not one involving one of the hottest commodities the company has.

And WWE is doing Rousey no favors with diehard fans by booking a title match so soon.

That fact that she's going to push past the likes of Bayley, Sasha Banks, Ruby Riott and others to get a title match without first paying more dues is a recipe for resentment from fans.

Rousey killed it at WrestleMania. She clearly has an aptitude for this business. She has big-time potential. That's going to be lost with some fans thanks to this line-jumping.

As Pro Wrestling Sheet founder Ryan Satin pointed out, that puts WWE Creative in a tough situation:

WWE seemed to recognize the issue and actually made it part of the narrative. Rousey first responded to Jax's challenge by saying she didn't know if she deserved it yet. She didn't want an unearned opportunity like this. Then Charlotte Flair encouraged her to take the match and all that was forgotten about.

This isn't something you just brush aside with a scripted line or two, though.

The choice to fast-track her into the championship scene wastes what should have been a moment for the ages, it delivers an underwhelming story and gives fans reason to start giving her the Roman Reigns treatment. The headlines WWE created by going this route won't make up for that.