Ronda Rousey: Latest News and Buzz on Possible WWE Debut Before No Mercy

Ronda Rousey is almost certainly coming to the WWE. The only real question is when she's coming and what sort of schedule she's going to work.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Marc Middleton of WrestlingInc), there are several ideas being bandied about, although nothing has been confirmed or set in stone. The immediate plans concern Survivor Series, and a possible Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen showdown.

A brief explainer: In MMA, Rousey and her three close friends—Marina Shafir, Shayna Baszler and Jessamyn Duke—were dubbed The Four Horsewomen. It was a tribute to the legendary professional wrestling stable The Four Horsemen, which featured Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Ole Anderson.

Rousey is an unapologetic wrestling fan. Her nickname, Rowdy, is inspired by WWE Hall of Famer "Rowdy" Roddy Piper; before he died, she received his blessing to use the name.

Credit: WWE.com

Meanwhile, in NXT, four of the most promising female prospects—Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley—became close friends, and also dubbed themselves The Four Horsewomen. They've regularly made references to their sisterhood in the ring, most notably at the end of Bayley and Banks' title match at NXT Takeover. 

At the Mae Young Classic, these two factions got into a kayfabe standoff—Baszler was competing in the tournament, which provided a perfect excuse for Rousey and her friends to sit up front and trash-talk. Baszler made it all the way to the finals, which gave the feud even more exposure.

A classic Survivor Series match, pitting Horsewomen against Horsewomen, would be a ready-made, 4-on-4 fight—no mystery partners required. But when will Rousey and her friends show up on WWE TV to start this angle properly?

It will probably not be for a few weeks, and it will almost certainly not be this Sunday. In addition to No Mercy, there is still another Raw-exclusive pay-per-view—TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs—before Survivor Series on November 19. And Bayley, Flair, Lynch and Banks are all tied up in individual feuds and fight on different brands. WWE Creative needs to clear the deck before starting down this path.

After Survivor Series, Rousey is rumored to fight at WrestleMania—perhaps against Stephanie McMahon, perhaps against Flair. McMahon, as impressive as she looked in her SummerSlam match against Brie Bella several years ago, is too inexperienced to work a good match with Rousey, who herself has little in-ring experience. Charlotte would be the safer choice; she could carry Rousey to a good match, should it come to that.

Rousey herself has stoked the rumors; her website received an update, promising "major news coming soon." And Flair is leaving the door open for a 1-on-1 Rousey showdown, stating, "She knows where to find me," to a TMZ reporter. 

"WWE is a much different product [than UFC] and a sports entertainment world," Flair also added.

It's a point that will bear repeating in the coming months. Rousey may be a world-class MMA athlete, but now she is fighting for show instead of for competition. That contains its own unique challenges—to play to an audience rather than focusing wholly on an opponent.

Is this a one-off gimmick? Or is this the start of a new chapter in Rousey's career? The Survivor Series match will allow her to hide behind her fellow Horsewomen. But between then and WrestleMania, she needs to train hard if she expects to steal the show.