What Went Wrong Between WWE and Ronda Rousey?

Ronda Rousey reiterated that she's "pretty much" done with pro wrestling, which raises questions about how her relationship with WWE soured so quickly.

The former mixed martial artist's stint with the company was surprisingly short. After all, she was only active for about two and a half years, as she debuted in 2018 and took time off to have her first child in 2019.

Rousey returned in 2022 to win the women's Royal Rumble match. However, she effectively retired the following year after her feud with Shayna Baszler concluded at SummerSlam 2023. 

Although she initially welcomed the opportunity as a long-time fan, the three-time women's champion has since expressed frustrations with Vince McMahon's creative regime. Her latest interview sparked new headlines and reignited online chatter about her time with WWE.

Rousey is no stranger to controversy, but it's hard to tell how much of her creative differences with the company were justified. Naturally, it's usually difficult to decipher what's fiction or reality in pro wrestling, but what seemed like the logical next step in her career could've just been a bad fit for both parties. 

Ronda Rousey's Lofty Expectations

Based on her complaints, Rousey clearly had high expectations for the way she would be utilized. Many of her critics would attribute this to her overinflated ego, but some of her gripes weren't exactly unreasonable.

During her appearance on The Lapsed Fan podcast, Rousey said, "I got into WWE because I wanted to be able to wrestle with my girls, you know, the Four Horsewomen, and be able to wrestle with my friends. And they kind of dangled that carrot for my whole run and never let it happen."

"And then the second run, they kept dangling it, and then by the end, I was like, I'm f-----g leaving unless I can wrestle with Shayna. And that's how I was able to do it at all."

That explanation aligns with most viewers because she seemed much happier teaming up with Marina Shafir in her final matches for The Wrestling Revolver and Ring of Honor in 2023. WWE also teased a Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen rivalry during the 2017 Mae Young Classic that never materialized. 

To be fair, Shafir and Jessamyn Duke didn't get acclimated as quickly as she did, and that likely hindered any plans for them as a group. Still, it's also safe to say the company put the cart before the horse here, and left her and the fans disappointed when it didn't come to fruition. 

It's also abundantly clear that Rousey believed her MMA career made opponents like Alexa Bliss improbable. Her hesitance to working one of the hottest heels in the division or tapping out to Becky Lynch is less understandable because wrestling is such a different business. 

Sure, she isn't the first athlete to transition to pro wrestling and struggle with the idea of losing after a storied career. Kurt Angle also famously talked about this, but he eventually humbled himself and adapted to become an all-time great. 

WWE's Miscalculation 

All in all, Rousey's foray into wrestling was hardly a complete flop because her rookie year was so well-received. Adding her to the fold brought new eyes to the women's division during its zenith and created new opportunities, such as WWE Evolution. 

Charlotte Flair recently said the judo practitioner doesn't get enough credit for propelling the women into the main event of WrestleMania 35. The Queen also ranked their showdown at Survivor Series in 2018 among her top five greatest matches of all time. 

The Baddest Woman on the Planet is also an integral part of Lynch's meteoric rise as The Man because their rivalry produced many unforgettable moments. The invasion on the Nov. 12, 2018, episode of Raw and their staredown after the 2019 women's Royal Rumble match helped to cement the Irish wrestler as one of the biggest stars in wrestling.

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Nevertheless, Rousey's WWE run started to lose its luster during her return in 2022. For whatever reason, she seemed much less engaged and the fans couldn't connect with her as a protagonist anymore.

The demand for her next appearance didn't die during her maternity leave, but it probably would've worked better if she reemerged as a heel. The first female inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame never reacted well to being booed, but she leaned into her outsider status during her feud with Flair and Lynch.

Still, WWE's creative team under McMahon never quite found the right balance for her character when she emerged from her loss on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The company likely assumed that her surprise return would generate an ovation. However, they miscalculated how much some viewers rejected this interloper who decimated all of their fan favorites the first time.

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No matter how successful her first run was, many fans didn't want to see her return to dominate again. The company didn't recognize that and pivot fast enough to salvage her second year. Rousey's matches also weren't nearly as polished, and anticipation for her rematch with Lynch had fizzled out.

Rousey says pro wrestling is in the rear view, but it's also hard to tell where she would even fit into an era where celebrities are excited about being involved again. Sure, she could eventually get the itch to return to the ring, but could Triple H find renewed success with her?

Her latest comments certainly won't entice most fans, and there's more than enough reason to believe she didn't have a thorough understanding of the business to sustain her position. If nothing else, this is a cautionary tale about how arduous it is to wield her level of star power without enough sweat equity in the industry.