Ronda Rousey's Pro Wrestling Fandom a Godsend for WWE

Ronda Rousey is proof that a key component in the formula for acquiring WWE talent is luck.

A major pay-per-view draw, a skilled fighter, transcendent star and complete bad ass will one day step into a WWE ring again. That won't be the result of great scouting or the success of the developmental system, but because the UFC bantamweight champion is a big fan of pro wrestling. 

Were Rousey to feel about wrestling as many of her peers in MMA do, that it's a silly, fake enterprise, she wouldn't be a WWE marquee attraction waiting to happen. She would be just another skeptic.

But that's not the case. After appearing at this year's WrestleMania alongside The Rock, she wants more.

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Rousey took part in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), and eventually the topic of working for WWE after she retired came up. Rousey said, "I loved being in Wrestlemania and will find a way to get back in the squared circle I just have no clue when. And any real wrestling fan would want to be surprised anyway."

WWE officials had to be grinning as they read that.

The company has long coveted celebrities, especially from the sports world. In part, it's an effort to gain the air of legitimacy. But that love of the boxer, the NFL player or the NBA star is also about fame.

Big names from outside wrestling raise the profile of the events they are a part of. Cyndi Lauper played a huge part in the rise of Hulkamania. Mike Tyson brought in tons of eyes when he served as an enforcer at WrestleMania XIV.

And now here comes arguably UFC's biggest star expressing her desire to jump back in the ring at some point.

This is no fleeting romance with the squared circle either. Rousey has long been a vocal, proud fan of WWE.

She took her "Rowdy" nickname from the late WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper. She's clearly been practicing her WWE moves. She's attended WWE events and hung out with the wrestlers.

Then, of course, she stepped between the ropes at WrestleMania 31 for a showdown with Stephanie McMahon.

WWE has to desperately want to build on that. It can either have her and The Rock form a superteam or have McMahon make one of the top women's wrestlers act as her proxy in the ring. But even if it was just for a non-wrestling appearance, Vince McMahon would surely be ecstatic to have her aboard.

In many ways, Rousey is the female Brock Lesnar.

She's a superb athlete, intimidating and blessed with a surplus of "it" factor. She's a dominant beast of a fighter. Each of her bouts is must-watch.

The boost she has given UFC's women's division is what WWE is trying to inject into its own female portion of the roster. Rousey's name comes up often as current "Divas Revolution" storyline. There is talk of Nikki Bella, Naomi and others getting the kind of spotlight that she does with UFC.

It's clear that WWE is attempting to attach itself to a hot trend. 

The key to that trend, the unstoppable armbar machine, wants to make her mark on WWE again. And she is a perfect fit for that world. Rousey is a star, an athlete and most recently an actor. It's no wonder WWE loves Rousey so much.

Luckily, the feeling is mutual. She'll be on WWE programming eventually, bringing all the electric buzz that surrounds her.