Reading Between the Lines on Ronda Rousey's Take That Logan Paul Should Beat Reigns

It's easy to forget that Ronda Rousey made her WWE return this year as a surprise entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match.

That's not to say she didn't make an impact as she went on to challenge Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38. However, many other high-profile returns and her erratic second year with the company have overshadowed her reintroduction to pro wrestling.

Still, the former UFC women's bantamweight champion has been a fixture on SmackDown. The novelty of her foray into the squared circle may have worn off for some fans, but she's an asset who can draw casual viewers and mainstream outlets.

Even so, WWE has a bit of a dilemma, and its newest celebrity acquisition illuminates it.

When you have someone like Logan Paul, who is well-known outside of the pro wrestling bubble, it’s hard not to justify adding him to marquee matchups. Case in point being the popular YouTuber-turned-boxer will face Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel on Nov. 5.

Rousey gave her opinion of his venture into wrestling during a recent edition of Tuesdays Are For Gods of War. One could read it as just an ill-advised take, but it also comes off as an extension of her own expectations for herself.

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Photo credit: WWE.com

Should Logan Paul Beat Roman Reigns?

During her gaming stream, The Baddest Woman on the Planet explained what she hopes his time with the company looks like. She even went on to fantasy-book Paul’s showdown with Reigns (h/t Phil Hall of WrestlingInc.com):

"I'm going to say this in the best way possible. What they need to do with Logan Paul is make sure he loves this and has an absolutely amazing time and wants to make this his home. Showing up and getting his ass kicked by Bray Wyatt might be what a lot of people want to see, but I don't think it makes sense.

"Honestly, you know what? I would have Logan Paul—if I was booking it—I would have him beating Roman Reigns. I would, because for whatever plethora of reasons, he is one biggest draws right now. You want to be able to put him over, you want to be able to legitimize him."

This is the drawback of signing celebrities to a full-time contract because, on the surface, Rousey is right.

It would be a shrewd business move to ensure Paul feels welcomed. If WWE wants to effectively capitalize on his mainstream appeal, it would also behoove the company to make him a focal point of its programming.

However, it wouldn’t be wise to put its main title on the 27-year-old this soon. He may look impressive, but he has only competed in two matches.

More to the point, thrusting an outsider into a top position too fast has historically caused fans to turn on a wrestling promotion. Look how well things turned out for David Arquette as WCW world heavyweight champion.

WWE doesn’t want to upset its fanbase, at least not in that way. It would also set a terrible precedent and potentially frustrate top stars like Seth Rollins or Bobby Lashley. These Superstars are having a tremendous year. It would probably sting to see someone who only appears for the big pay-per-views step in and become the biggest priority.

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Struggles of Getting Reacclimated

Rousey’s second stint with WWE hasn’t been as consistent as her celebrated rookie year.

She set a high bar for herself in 2018, and the UFC Hall of Famer hasn’t performed as well this year. There also seemed to be a disconnect over her creative direction until her recent feud with Liv Morgan.

The SmackDown women's champion remains a priority to the brand and Fox, but it was a questionable decision to make her a protagonist again. Yes, most returning Superstars come back as a babyface because we expect them to receive a positive reaction.

Nevertheless, the former MMA fighter’s buzz never reached the heights one would expect. Rousey also appeared uncomfortable in the role given how her last run ended. She told The DC Check-In (h/t Nick Tylwalk of Wrestling Junkie) she always prefers to be a heel, and it’s not hard to understand why. It just seems like a much more natural fit for her.

Photo credit: WWE.com

Her take on Paul vs. Reigns isn’t the first time her ideas have turned into headlines. For example, she also recently stated that she doesn’t want to say women’s title anymore. She also called for more non-title storylines featuring women, which is a valid criticism.

Regardless, her thoughts on Paul could be read as a glimpse into how she wanted her time with WWE to go. The company didn’t rush to make her champion, and it worked effectively.

Yes, you could argue her presence eventually cast a large shadow over the rest of the women’s division. To that end, her reign as Raw women’s champion potentially hindered the growth of new stars.

Still, she did help legitimize the brand’s title and provided a perfect foil for Becky Lynch during her meteoric rise as The Man.

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The Bottom Line

Building up celebrities as the top commodity in a wrestling company isn’t a sustainable business model. It’s a great way to boost ratings and generate renewed interest in pay-per-views, but it’s not a long-term solution.

Stars like Paul, Rousey and Bad Bunny have helped to further separate WWE from the pack, but their inclusion creates a tough juggling act. It’s important to utilize them and attempt to reach new viewers. Conversely, it’s a bad idea to overuse them and alienate your core audience.

It can be an ingenious way to highlight top stars like The Tribal Chief, but it also runs the risk of creating a ceiling for someone on the cusp of a hot streak. So, a measured approach is still the best way to go.

Rousey's second stint with WWE has been a mixed bag. Even though she seems to be back on the right track, it’s still hard for some fans to fully invest in her. That's possibly because it seems the company will cater to her until she moves on to something else.

It was a brave decision to take time off to become a parent after she headlined WrestleMania 35, but she worked a lighter schedule than full-time talent in her first year.

This created the perception that she received preferential treatment. Her time away also caused some to doubt her devotion to wrestling, and she never really alleviated those concerns.

She was right about one thing: The company needs to become Paul’s home. When hardcore fans realize he is here to stay, they will accept him. There is still some hesitancy around Rousey for the same reason.

The former UFC star clearly loves wrestling, but it’s still unclear if she is willing to commit to it as someone like Kurt Angle did. He earned the viewership’s trust because he stuck around.

There’s no short cut to that route. WWE can’t just give her or Paul that type of credibility through title wins. They have to earn that goodwill.